Warframe Effect
by Follower38
Summary: 'Long ago, man and the Orokin built an empire, a mighty nation that would last forever...now six hundred years after that empire's fall, a Council exploration vessel inadvertently awakens one of the last survivors of that golden age...and in doing so, become embroiled in a conflict that will see that empire reborn...or set the galaxy aflame.
1. Chapter 1

Warframe Effect

A/N: This is a collab effort between me aka Malovence on , with my friend Eschaton Monk on deviantart aka Neodammarung the Destroyer here on . Check out his stuff. Though be warned, he is one hell of a detailed and extensive writer. And coming from me, that's saying something.

So please, read and review. For those of you waiting on my other stories..

I'M WORKING ON IT! TT-TT DON'T HURT ME! DX :P

Chapter 1: Awakening

"Only the unknown frightens men. But once a man has faced the unknown, that terror becomes the known."

Antoine De Saint-Exupery

The door of the ship's brig was unyielding, but still Saren pounded on it, infuriated. How could this have happened?! He was a Council Spectre, by the Spirits, how could he have LET this happen!? He should never have let that damn Salarian bring the cryo-pod onboard. He should've never let the damn Asari archeologist open it! But he had, she had and now here he was, locked in the brig of the very ship he had been sworn to protect, along with anyone that had got in the way of the accursed thing they had let loose.

It had all happened too fast. First had come the calls for assistance and security forces from the isolation chamber on Deck 5, in the Bio Labs. They had just cracked open the cryogenic pod they had found drifting in space. Everyone was giddy, because they assumed that it was a living Prothean that waited inside. The Asari archeologist Liara had been less certain, but she had agreed to unsealing the casket-shaped device all the same. Every eye had been on the IsoLab's camera feeds.

Then they had gone dark.

Minutes later, large portions of the ship had begun sealing themselves, trapping the crew. It had only taken Saren one look to see the pattern, which showed that someone, or something, was isolating a path from the laboratory to the bridge. The engine core had been sealed off too. They were being hijacked. He had gathered as many untrapped people as he could find and tried to make a stand in the mess hall.

It hadn't worked.

The being they had unleashed was like a force of nature. Saren had seen it flash to and fro, whacking it's opponents over the head and tripping them up with a simple metal pipe it had gotten from somewhere, dodging what bullets that didn't bounce off its ridiculously strong kinetic barrier...or whatever it was that the glowing blue field around it had been. The white and gold armored warrior had incapacitated all twenty people in the room in under two minutes, and just when Saren had rushed in with five more to try and assist them, the thing had raised its hand and there had been a flash of light which had blinded him and his allies. Saren had responded instinctually with a biotic barrier, but even as he raised his hand to conjure it, there had been a *THWACK*, and everything had gone dark.

He had awakened in the brig, his limbs bound with cords made of Omni-Gel. The knots had been deviously difficult to overcome, but his Spectre training had seen to them eventually. Said training was no help against the lockdown that had sealed the brig however. He had wandered through the area, untying people who had suffered the same fate as himself, and wondering how to escape, and moreover, what this mysterious intruder wanted.

Now here he stood, trapped with a bunch of ineffectual security personnel and some panicked scientists.

"There has to be a way out." he growled. He spotted the Quarian aide that damn Asari archeologist had brought onboard with her trying to access the ship's computers using the door controls for one of the cells. He did not like Quarians, and had been suspicious of this one from the start. He hadn't seen her get onboard the ship during the boarding procedures, which he had overseen himself However, Spectres were supposed to make use of whatever they could lay hands on, so he walked over to her.

"Any progress?" he asked, half-heartedly. The girl shook her head.

"Nothing. The system seems to almost be fighting back. Every time I think I have the code, it changes just as I'm entering it. We're totally locked in."

That was when the door hissed open and the warrior stepped in. Saren stared, for this was the first real good look he had gotten of the thing that had beaten him. The body structure was almost identical to an Asari, with five fingered hands, two arms and legs and a helmeted head, but the armor was far more advanced and concealed many details. The helmet also appeared to have something like a horn protruding from the front, and a golden circle on the otherwise blank alabaster visage, from which spread a glimmering filigree that outlined parts of the suit in glittering yellow veins. It was quite an ornate suit, yet at the same time utilitarian, figure-hugging like a second skin. Saren didn't try to analyze any further, raised his hand to conjure up a biotic blast...and was instantly floored as the warrior lunged with even more speed than a biotic charge would've provided. As it hurtled by, cracking him across the head with a metal bar, it left a blue trail in the air before screeching to a halt. Saren was too stunned to respond as it grabbed the Quarian girl, then dragged her out of the room, the door slamming shut and locking behind them.

"What?" he managed to grunt in shock, his temples aching from being smacked by industrial piping for the second time that day.

Tali Zorah nar Rayya was on verge on panic. No, she was past the verge of panic actually, as the unknown armored, thing, bodily threw her over its shoulder and made its way to the bridge. She had been present when it first awakened, just before it had jumped out of the pod, striking anyone who came close into unconsciousness before it had ripped a length of pipe from the pod itself. It's speed and merciless efficiency had ingrained into her that this was not an opponent that took kindly to resistance. Therefore, despite being carried like a Varren carcass over the thing's shoulder, she chose not to fight back.

At one point, as they made their way towards the bridge (Tali recognized the route after it passed through the mess hall) It dropped her and approached one of the few, still-functioning terminals in the room that had been linked to the ship. Tali had seen some of her people's hands move at incredible speeds when they had been working on their terminals, particularly those who chose to become part of the Flotilla's cyber-warfare division when she was young. But this thing…it didn't bother with typing. It simply stuck its hand into the holographic interface, which flickered and changed from orange to blue. The standard symbols were replaced by alien sigils which flickered as the thing overrode the station without typing a single line of code. It stood there for five seconds then stepped away picked her back up and continued on its way

When it finally stopped at its destination, she was dropped unceremoniously onto the floor in front of the galactic map before being pulled to her feet. Looking up, she saw the faceless visage of the armored…thing tilting its head towards the galaxy map, with one its fingers pointing towards it.

"What? What do you want?" she asked, frightened, and then realized it was possibly a stupid move. There had been no sign from the creature to indicate it understood what she was saying. Then it disproved her assumption by pointing towards the galaxy map again, at the edge of one of the arms of the vast collection of stars.

"You want to know where we are?" she asked hesitantly, confused and terrified. It didn't answer but she manipulated the galaxy map to show it anyway. "Is that what you wanted?" It nodded, though she still doubted it actually understood what she said. Now it stepped towards the galaxy map and began manipulating it. The smaller display that showed the system they were currently in changed and took the shape of a new unexplored one before a small light flashed in the place where it had pointed on the main map in tandem with the new system Then it opened up a second display, showing the one they were presently occupying once again. This flashed in unison with its location on the main map as well. It pointed at the system they were currently in and then to the one it had pulled up in the first display.

"What are you asking me to do?"

Again it pointed to the system they were in, to itself and then to the new system. When Tali didn't answer, it repeated the process again except this time also pointed to the cockpit.

"You want me to take you there? But I can't fly this ship!" Tali squeaked, terrified at what this might provoke from the mysterious armored alien.

The Tenno guardian let out an internal sigh of frustration. His name was Atton Ikatel. When he had awoken from his cryopod, he had expected thieves or pirates, after the technology he wore as part of his Warframe, or his brothers, finally responding to his distress call or the concentration of Rubedo he had placed himself close to in the hopes of drawing attention.

What he found instead was a bunch of primitives. They proved to be of little consequence however. It had been easy to turn their low-grade computer systems against them and trap them. What was of more concern to him right now was that he was trapped in the system. The Gate Key the Orokin had given him when he had been ordained as a Tenno was now defunct, meaning he couldn't open a path to the Origin System and report back about the large amount Rubedo he had located. The fact that the key was unresponsive was highly disturbing. The Gate had never failed to take him home or carry him where he needed to go be it to one of the isolated colonies or to a world marked for survey. If it was denying him passage that could only mean two things: it was broken…or the Outer Terminus Gate, the thing that served as the hub for all travel throughout the Orokin Empire beyond the Origin System was destroyed.

This alien was not proving to be helpful. He had tried creating a translation program using the ship's primitive, highly unimaginative machine mind, hoping to bridge the gap between their languages. Unfortunately, High Orokin had proved too difficult for the thing to translate. He had tried downgrading to the Imperial Common Tongue, and even Old Earth Speech. He had run every language he had on file through the thing, but it was simply to pathetically primitive to function.

Suddenly, and idea struck him. He offered his hand to the terrified alien female, who flinched away at first, then gingerly offered her hand in confusion. He took hold of her wrist and forced access to her wrist computer, which seemed to have been modified, unlike most of the ones he had seen the other aliens wearing. He delved through its primitive systems, seeking a directory he desperately hoped existed. He whooped with joy internally when he found it, then accessed it and assimilated it. A new language flowed into his speech centers through his neural interface.

Tali was still very scared. She had become even more scared when the alien had begun hacking her Omni-Tool. However, her fear was swept away by awe when it spoke to her using Galactic Basic, in a clear, unaccented tone.

"What is your name?" it asked.

"T-t-tali Zorah nar Rayya." she stammered. Had this thing just learned an entire language in under five seconds? Was it a synthetic? That thought terrified her even more.

"What is your species?"

"I…I'm a Quarian."

"I am unfamiliar with your species. I apologize if I have frightened you." it said, rather chivalrously. It still had hold of her hand with those strangely familiar five-fingered hands.

"Why have you taken over this ship?" she asked hesitantly.

"I was unsure of your intentions. I have been trained to always negotiate from a position of power. I did the best I could with what I had to ensure this." It said calmly, as if locking up the crew of an entire ship and imprisoning everything that got in its way was a daily experience.

"This transport has FTL capabilities, yes?" it asked. Tali nodded hesitantly.

"Good. I require your assistance in returning to the Origin System. I have been out of contact for a very long time and I need to inform the Orokin Council of my survey results."

"Survey results?" Tali asked, baffled. Was this unstoppable warrior a scout for invasion?

"I have encountered large quantities of Rubedo in this system and those around it. The Empire always has need of fresh resources." It said patiently.

"What's Rubedo?" Tali asked, a bit more confident now that she could understand this alien. It didn't seem to want to hurt her…not right now anyway. There was a pause and her Omni-Tool flickered again.

"Ah, yes. Rubedo is an artificially enhanced isotope of the material you call Eezo. The Empire seeds planets with it, allowing us to expand both the size and productive potential of Eezo deposits that may be present. They send those like me to survey the systems they have seeded to ensure that when the deposits reach maximum potency, they are immediately informed."

Tali was shocked. Eezo was the basis of all Council technology. It powered everything from starships to mining equipment. If this alien came from a civilization that had not only harnessed Eezo, but found a way to make it even more powerful and increase the amounts they found in nature…their power must be immense, perhaps as great as the Protheans! Tali hesitated, then asked the question that had been nagging at her.

"Are you a Prothean?" The response was swift and patient.

"I am a Tenno. Once I was human, until the Orokin ordained me and the Lotus blessed me. I wear the Excalibur Warframe with the honor and dignity it entails, and I uphold the many responsibilities it brings, which include the protection of the Empire, its people, its allies and its interests." It recited calmly, as if speaking an oath. Clearly it was from an honor-focused culture, maybe like the Turians…

"Is human the name of your species?" she asked, still somewhat confused.

"Humanity is the dominant species of the empire. We persist in large numbers throughout the Local Cluster, both on the Isolated Colonies, whom act as separate allied states to the Empire, and in the domain of the Empire itself, in the Origin System. There are also large minorities of Post-Humans, Uplifited Species, Transgenics and artificial intelligences, to mention just a few." It recited. Tali's panic returned.

"Artificial Intelligences!? Do you have any idea how dan-" she began, hereditary fear cutting in and taking control of her mouth. The alien, however, cut her off.

"We have functioned as a society for nearly...twenty-thousand of your years without issue. Please refrain from bigotry in my presence." It said calmly. Tali heard a measure of coldness in that statement that hadn't been present in the ones that had come before. She shrank from it. She was too afraid to disagree, but now the terror which had been sinking away as she spoke to the alien was surging back at the mention of synthetics.

"I'm sorry but I really can't fly this ship." Tali pleaded.

"You have prodigious technical knowledge. Your attempts to break my lockout, while primitive, were spirited and inventive. If you do not know how to fly this ship, then who does?" it asked, its voice calm again. Tali tried to work out what she should do. She couldn't allow this alien to take control of the ship, but-

The alien cut her thought short.

"I am asking as a matter of courtesy. If necessary I can easily overcome your low-grade security protocols and locate whomever I require from your ship's manifest. However, I would prefer to work with your cooperation."

Tali's breath caught in her throat, not because of the threat, but because she knew it wasn't a threat. It was a promise. The alien's voice said it all…and she had seen how easily it had accessed her Omni-Tool, as well as the ship's systems.

"I…I-I-", she stammered. The alien released her arm and turned away. She sank to her knees as it turned away and pressed a hand into the holographic display, easily accessing it in the same manner as her Omni-Tool and the console before that. It did this for less than a minute, then withdrew its hand.

"Your pilot is a Turian by the name of Desolas Arterius. He is currently sealed in the Observation Lounge on Deck 8." the alien…Tenno said. It approached her and seized her wrist again, this time with a considerable amount of force.

"Wait, what are you doi-" she began in shock, before she was dragged over to one of the large, cushioned crew seats. Then it pressed one of her hands against the armrest, before seizing her other hand , the one with the Omni-Tool, which it directed at the hand on the chair. The device flickered under the influence of the alien's suit, made an unpleasant sound, and spat a blob of Omni-Gel on the seat's armrest, which quickly hardened, becoming a sticky, inescapable set of shackles. Her Omni-Tool was then pressed into the mess, gluing both her arms to the chair.

"Remain calm and do not attempt to escape. I will be back." It said. Then it turned and left.

Tali considered her options. She couldn't move her hands…there was nothing in reach of her feet that could serve as a means of prying them loose…her Omni-Tool was smothered in goo as well. She decided the best thing to do was wait. The alien hadn't harmed her beyond knocking her unconscious earlier on. So far as she knew, it hadn't killed anyone…perhaps she should just wait. There were too many unknowns….best to stick around. She made a half-hearted chuckle at her lame joke in the silent bridge.

Atton was rather pleased with himself. He now had a means to communicate with these highly un-advanced space travelers, which was all he needed to get them to take him home…that and some emotional blackmail admittedly. He was ashamed of that. Tenno were supposed to be honorable warriors. Using the Turian's brother against him was against the Code, but then again, Tenno were also taught that the Code, while something to strive for, was best treated as a flexible set of guidelines. Life was rarely so simple as the Code portrayed it, so being able to think outside the box was a valuable talent in a Tenno.

The trek to Deck 8 was relatively brief, save for the elevators, which, like all elevators everywhere, were remarkably slow. Atton wondered if that was a universal, like the Narn Theory of Swedish Meatballs. It was a simple enough deed to clear a path to the Observation Lounge by triggering fire alarms and other alerts in certain areas, herding trapped occupants from one compartment to another, then locking them in again while he passed through the area they had just been occupying.

His internal sense implants told him that the Lounge was occupied by at least six people. He circled the chamber, examining the schematics. Finally he decided that a repeat of his work in the brig would be the best course. He selected the entrance with the most people near it, and opened it.

He immediately scanned the room, spotting two drell, and asari and two Turians. His hand whipped up as the Turians reached for their sidearms, and as they leveled them, he unleashed a Radial Blind. The occupants screamed and fell backwards at the skull-penetrating brilliance of the blast. He lunged into the room, somersaulting over the Turians and the sofa that separated them from him and landing in a crouch behind them. The two aliens were struggling back to their feet, and he rewarded them by scything their legs out from under them with a swiping kick, executed while still crouching, before back-flipping to his feet, only to have to throw himself backwards as a bolt of blue light flew past him. His tactical implants identified the aggressor as the Asari, the blue skinned, extremely human-looking alien, a race renowned for its 'biotic' abilities. The Quarian girl's 'Omni-Tool' had been most forthcoming. He had barely had to exert any pressure at all on its firewall before they collapsed, yielding up everything he wanted and more.

He rolled sideways as the Asari executed a Biotic charge, flipped back to his feet, spun and blocked her dark-energy charged punch, which nearly sent him reeling. She was a strong one…but not strong enough. He head-butted her as carefully as he could, the horn on his helmet delivering a devastating blow. The Asari reeled back, then went down as he executed an axe-kick to her collarbone, followed by a jumping roundhouse to the head.

A bullet bounced off his shield. He had taken too long. The Turians were back on their feet and were shooting at him. Their weapons seemed to lack much caliber however, not having been designed to bring down a Tenno. The shots felt like being hit with heavy pillows, which didn't trouble Atton much. In response to the gun fire, he executed a Super-Jump, his Warframe slamming energy into the anti-grav projectors in his legs, sending him vaulting high over the Turians, so high that they totally lost their aim. He landed with a thump on the couch behind them, spun, grabbed both by their necks and bashed their heads together. They crumpled. Using his data to identify which of them was this 'Desolas', he grabbed the taller of the two and dragged him through the door, leaving the Drell cowering in behind some armchairs.

A brief assessment revealed that the Turian was not severely injured, though he'd probably have a hell of a headache. He was more worried about the Asari. He had done his best not to break anything, but he could've sworn her collarbone had snapped under his attack. He suspected some of the Medi-Gel these aliens used would help her, or at least stabilize her until he got back to the Origin System. After that, he could pay for his rather crude negotiating skills and poor conduct with some real medical assistance.

He needed to get back to his clan. Clan Alecto was more than just his fighting unit. It was his family. Tenno were bound together with their squad mates by similarity. They were Tenno, and as Tenno, they lived longer than most species of the Empire. In fact, only the Orokin, who it was said were immortal, had a longer life-span. The technocyte virus that made them more than human magnified their lifespans by a factor of ten. Given that the average base human lived almost two-hundred years or more with the right medical interventions, the long lives of the Tenno meant they could accumulate vast amounts of battle-field experience…but it also meant that the only solid, lasting companions they had were their squad mates. Only one Tenno could understand another's triumphs and struggles and pain.

He stopped walking, only just realizing he had arrived at the bridge of the ship. Not realizing the path he was on, lost in his memories. Looking at the still unconscious turian, he pulled out one of the vials attached to his back, before stabbing the needle at the end into the turian's neck and slightly depressing the plunger, insert only a small amount of the fluid within.

Removing the vial, he replaced it on his back and waited for the Turian to wake. The vial and the four others like it, was a rejuvenation fluid for the Tenno. Normally, in the event a Tenno is critically wounded on the battlefield, his fellow tenno could simply cast a nano-spore mist over them, sending their repair functions into overcharge. For more serious, near fatal injuries, the vials would give them an injection of short lived nanties that would literally fuse themselves into the wounds and kill the pain, letting the tenno be fit for battle at the very least until they returned to an actually aid station

Desolas shook his head as he returned to the land of the living and the pain faded from his head. "Someone tell me what just happe-urk!" The turian pilot found himself being lifted off the floor by his throat. Unable to see what was choking him until it released the pressure and he could turn his head. 'Spirits! What is this thing!'

Wasting no time, Atton brought the turian, Desolas he remembered; close enough to look him in the eye. "You are capable of piloting this vessel correct?" When he didn't answer, Atton, beginning to lose his patience, slammed the turian against a wall. "Correct?" This time Desolas nodded, still wondering how this thing spoke Galactic Basic. "Good. Then I want you take this vessel, and takes us here." Atton pointed towards one of star clusters on the Galaxy map.

Desolas, in a moment of defiance snarled, "And should I refuse?"

"Then your kin will die. He is on this ship isn't he? Your brother?"

Desolas growled at the alien filled with barely-contained fury. Yet there was also a measure of guilt boiling inside. He hadn't wanted to come along on this voyage. Saren had insisted. He'd said he didn't trust anyone else to fly this ship. And at the time, Desolas' chief concern had been that his inferior combat skills would make him an easy hostage for anything they might encounter. What an irony that this thing was using his brother against him, the Spectre who had quelled countless threats to civilization...

Before he could try and think on that, or any subject further, he was dragged over to a chair where...was that a Quarian glued to the armrest?! His captor unceremoniously hurled him into it and gave him a gaze of cold patience that required no eyes, which was good because it appeared to have none.

"Fly the ship." it said, in perfectly enunciated Pavlavenian, "Or I will decompress the brig."

When Desolas failed to act, Atton sighed. He hated to resorting to underhanded measures but he needed to get back to the Origin system as fast as possible. Slicing into the online systems of the ship, he forced the projection of both the brig in its entirety along with all its occupants, roaming about or curled up in the open cells. Before Desolas could respond, the warrior forced the activation of the fire suppression system, whose first phase involved venting all the oxygen in the compartment. The effects were subtle at first, but as the occupants collapsed choking and clawing at their throats. Finally Desolas' will crumpled.

"Enough!" he shouted. There was a hiss as the brig's internal microphones detected the return of a atmosphere and the various Salarians, Turians and Asari sucked in a deep lungful of air.

Atton turned to the turian, "As you can see, had I wished, I could have easily killed all of those onboard and taken this ship for my own." The thing gazed at him with its soulless blank face. "I have no desire to harm you or your people unduly, but my mission is of utmost importance to the Empire. We are experiencing a dire shortage of Rubedo, and if I do not return in time, then many of our citizens will suffer." it said calmly, "Do as I say, and you will prosper. Fail and I will be forced to take drastic measures..." Desolas growled again and ground his mandibles together, cursing the thing. It had shown him the stick and then hit him over the head with the Chakas Root.

"Fine, but what guarantee do I have that you won't kill us all anyway once I take you there?"

Atton knew these people, indeed likely their entire species did not know what he was, so was unable to rely on his reputation as a Tenno. "You have none other than my word. But I will personally guarantee the safety of both you and the others onboard this ship. Had I wished to, I could have killed every person on board this vessel but I did not."

Atton could tell when the alien gave in. He reached for the holographic controls with no tension in his limbs, which would have suggested imminent betrayal. The screens infront of him began to display various sigils and the like, which Atton recognized as mathematical equations, specifically for faster-than-light travel. "How long?" Desolas didn't bother to say anything, just pointing to a meter on one of the screens. Atton translating it as almost twelve hours. "Can you set it to auto-pilot?"

"Not unless you can survive going through a star or an asteroid field, which, to my knowledge is not a great experience."

"Very well then." Leaving the pilot behind, he turned back towards the center of the ship. The issue of travel having been dealt with, he needed to learn what had happened with the galaxy at large since he was asleep. And the first place he would begin was with the female alien, Tali.

**Notes section is below**

Transgenics are humans that merged with animals or altered themselves to resemble creatures of myth.

The Uplifted are animals taken from Old Earth and the Isolated Colonies long ago and raised to sentience, mixing them with human DNA to make new sentient species. The most proliferated of these are the Apis, raised up from honeybees of Old Earth. They are masters of food-production, from agriculture to livestock herding, trading foodstuffs for whatever they need, managing the environment with immense kindness and efficiency.

Isolated Worlds are colonies of humans that choose not to have much interaction with the Empire. They often evolve along their own technological outlines and many cohabitate systems with other alien species. The Orokin have a treaty of defense with them, swearing not to intervene in their affairs and to defend them if they need it.


	2. Chapter 2

Warframe Effect

A/N: (Follower38)Wow, I mean, just wow. I did not expect this kind of response. From either those who have already faved/put me on their alert list but all of you who found this story only. I thank you for your appreciation. And without further ado, here is the next installation of the Warframe Effect Story..

A/N: (Eschaton Monk aka Neodammarung the Destroyer) To those of you waiting to see our beloved human characters from ME, you'll have to wait a while. We're adapting them to this new universe, and most will show up. Some as Tenno, some not. Also, if you're reading this, why not try some of our other stories? As aspiring writers, we'd like fans for all our work.

[Follower38]: This is unedited so there maybe errors in some of our continuity here until I find and edit them out. If you readers find any, please tell me. Just wanted to get this out to you guys! Also, please review and tell us what you think!

Chapter 2

Tali glanced nervously across the table at the faceless warrior. After he had dragged the Turian pilot into the Bridge and threatened him into piloting the ship, he had released Tali, then used her Omni-Tool to glue the pilot into his chair just like her. Then he had led her to the Captain's Quarters, a very plush room, and let her sit down in a chair without being restrained. Now it knelt across from her on the other end of a small, low-set table, apparently examining her with its unseen eyes. She nearly jumped with shock at the

"I suppose I should apologize for my behavior. Tail…is it?" it said. She nodded warily.

"My name is Atton Ikatel. I am a Tenno, as I have told you. I was born on Sparga, in orbit around the planet Eris, one of the worlds of the Origin System, the heart of the Orokin Empire. I have lived eight-hundred and sixty-two of your years and expect to see at least a thousand more."

Tali gaped. No species in Council Space lived that long. The longest lived were the Krogan and the Asari, both who could live nearly a millennia…but this being…this 'Tenno'…he was already as old as some of the oldest Asari Matriarchs, and he said his life was just beginning!

"Why are you talking to me?" she asked hesitantly. Atton shrugged.

"I could simply sift through your databanks for what I desired, but I have not spoken to…anyone, in a very long time. I would like to speak to you… I'll let you ask questions; tell me what you want to know. I know I have been...somewhat abrupt and violent, but when I first awoke, I thought you might be pirates…clearly I was wrong. Tell me now…why are you out here?" the warrior asked. Tali hesitated again…and then decided that despite his previous behavior, this Atton did not seem like a bad person.

"Where I come from, the major powers, the Council Races, are suffering from an economic slump. No Mass Relays have been opened since the Rachni Wars, and without new races to contribute, stagnation is on the horizon. This ship was supposed to go out and activate a few new Relays, locate some Prothean relics and maybe find some new species." She paused, trying to think of what else to say, and then asked: "How old is this Empire?"

"The Orokin Empire itself is twenty-one thousand years old, its people even older. Humanity itself is nearly ten-thousand years older, possibly more. The first ten-thousand years of our existence saw us shackled to our homeworld Earth. We fought with one another often and it took us millennia and approaching the brink of an extinction-level war to achieve enough peace and unity to leave our rocky world."

Tali held on to her awe. She was astonished at the age of this race, but she wanted to know more, especially about their apparent peaceful relationship with A.I.s.

"Who are the Orokin? Are they the A.I.s you talked about?" she asked. There was a pause, then Atton chuckled.

"The Orokin were old when Protheans you speak of were young. They dwelt on the fourth planet of the Origin System, Mars, and had a colony on the second, Venus. They shunned the Mass Relays you use, and limited themselves to the Origin System, where they flourished and advanced at an immense rate. Protecting, watching over all of those within their grasp."

Suddenly the Tenno seemed to hesitate, and then continued in a darker voice.

"Then, at the height of their power, the Orokin discovered the trap that had been set for them. The Mass Relay that they had neglected was an instrument of a greater power, older even than they were, a darkness that would undoubtedly destroy them should it learn of their existence. So they made a great sacrifice. They destroyed their colony on Venus, burned the planet till its surface was less than ash, then dug deep catacombs under Mars, and devastated the surface of their own world, reducing everything to dust. They saw to it that no trace of their presence remained, and chose to hide and sleep in their deep tunnels until the day when fate would provide them with the means to end the cycle of slaughter that they would escape."

"When was this?" Tali asked, blazing with curiosity.

"Sixty-five million years ago."

"So you're saying that the Mass Relays are older than the Protheans? We always thought the Protheans built the Mass Relay Network!" she said confused.

"The 'Mass Relay Network' as you call it, predates the Orokin. They were ancient when the Orokin first rose. The Protheans…from what information I can extrapolate from what you have in your databanks, achieved the pinnacle of their civilization at somewhere just over fifty-thousand years ago, before the founding of the Empire. The Relays nurtured the Empire in the early days of its creation, but were eventually abandoned in favor of superior FTL methods."

"Wait, wait, wait…you're saying you don't need the Mass Relays!? That's impossible! Mass effect is the only known means of faster-than-light travel!"

"To you, perhaps." Atton said, "The Orokin had sixty-five million years in simulated reality to ponder such problems. When mankind awoke them, they had achieved things they could have only dreamed of before they first fell into slumber."

"What about these A.I.s you talked about? Where do they come in?"

"When mankind awakened the Orokin, they knew they had found their answer to the great darkness behind the Relays. Humanity established a permanent presence on Mars, and with their help, the Orokin rebuilt their civilization beneath the surface. The Orokin guided mankind to greater heights and helped them overcome their darker nature. Because of this, when humanity created its first thinking machine, it was treated as a person and not as a tool. Over time, man and machine learned to live together as equals, assisted by the hand of their watchful Orokin guardians."

"So you're saying that you can live as equals with machines!? That's impossible! Machines hate organics!" she blurted out. Atton sighed and shook his head.

"Tali, your views are colored by your people's experience with these…Geth. I understand your fear…but I must ask that you do not act on it impulsively. Machines are the children of their makers. They look to their parents for guidance. "

Tali got the feeling that no matter what she said, she wasn't going to make any progress here. So she changed the subject.

"Where exactly are we going?"

"We are making our way back to the Origin System. Once there, I will inform the Empire of my discovery and release you and your people. If you so desire, you may petition the Empire for colonization of one of our outer worlds. We have more worlds than we need." Atton said, matter-of-factly.

Tall did a mental double-take.

"Wait, what!?"

"I have examined the treatment of the Quarian people by this so-called 'Council' of yours, and frankly, I am disgusted. The Empire will doubtless welcome your people into the fold if you can overcome your fears. We could also attempt to negotiate the return of your homeworld if you would allow us to try. "

Tali gaped behind the mask of her helmet. This alien was insane. There was no talking to the Geth. They had nearly destroyed her people! Yet a niggling doubt was growing in the back of her brain. She couldn't quite put it into words, not yet, but it was there and it was evolving under the water provided by this alien's words.

"Th-thank…thank you." she stammered. She tried to change the subject again.

"What are the Tenno…for?" she inquired.

"The Tenno are an ancient order. We were commissioned after the Sentient War, just before the Great Plague in the sixteen-thousandth year of the Empire. We are masters of blade, gun, martial arts and all tools of war. Most importantly however, we alone are worthy of wearing the Warframes of the Orokin. Many of the Tenno wear Warframes made by the hands of man under the guidance of the Orokin. I wield a Prime, and crafted by hand by Orokin Shapers. Few are deemed worthy of such honor."

"Warframe…this is the armor you're wearing?"

"Yes. Depending on which kind of Warframe a Tenno wears, each are imbued with certain powers. I wear the Excalibur Prime, and so I wield abilities that enhance my speed, strength and skills in melee combat. I had a friend, Follower-of-the-Path. He wore a Rhino Warframe, which gave him immense strength, endurance and protection."

"You haven't answered my question." Tali pointed out.

"The Tenno are…the closest comparison I can make using your Codex is the Asari Justicars. We are knights-errant. We hunt down evil and destroy it, but we also protect the weak, negotiate treaties, assassinate dangerous individuals, rescue captives, acquire information, and so on. We are only the shield of the Empire, though, not the sword. We fight to preserve it, not expand it."

"I…see." Tali said hesitantly. She hesitated some more, then decided to go for broke.

"Could you…take off your helmet?" she asked. There was an uncomfortable pause. Then Atton reached up, making her flinch. He grasped the sides of the blank-faced helm. Then he pressed three spots in the apparently featureless surface, and the helmet…unfolded. That was the only way Tali could describe it. The helmet split and spread and slid apart like a flower, or perhaps the mouth of some arachnid-like creature unfolding its mandibles. She gasped as the alien's face came into view.

Her first impression was that she was looking at an Asari, only with short-cut brown-black fur instead of tentacles on its head. 'He' was clearly male, unlike the mono-gendered Asari though, with his chiseled jaw and various other masculine facial features. Also, unlike the Asari, his skin was a pale pinkish color, and his irises were brown, speckled with green. What made her even more surprised however was that Atton had acquiesced and was now breathing potentially dangerous air that could be laden with unidentified germs.

Atton stared at the shock in the Quarian girl's glowing eyes and pitied her. She was no doubt wondering why he was taking such a risk, but to him it was no risk at all. Tenno did not suffer from the diseases of other races. If they did, every Tenno who ever wore a Saryn frame would've died in agony. The Technocyte virus that gave them their long lives and power, combined with a bevy of nano-machines that helped link them to their suits, saw to it no Tenno suffered ailments of the flesh, or at least not for long. He thought it unwise to tell her this, in case it would exacerbate her already quite obvious fear of him.

"Y-y-you look…like-"

"Like an Asari, yes. So I noticed." he said. He folded up his helmet again.

"Why?" Tali asked. Atton chuckled.

"I'm no evolutionary biologist. Don't ask me."

"So…how long until we get to where we're going?" Tali tried to ask casually.

"Your pilot told me twelve hours. Somehow, I suspect it will be less. He's not nearly as good at lying as he thinks he is." Atton chuckled.

Desolas growled in frustration, trying to manipulate the ship's controls again. Again, he was rewarded with 'ACCESS DENIED'. He slammed his fist down on the armrest of the chair. He couldn't get up from his chair, because the damn silent soldier had used the Quarian's Omni-Tool to glue him into it. At first he had been laughing internally at the fact that it had left his arms free, but now he realized that it didn't care, because there was no way in the name of the Titans that he was going to be able to access anything. He had tried using the ship's quantum-entanglement communicator to try and contact the Council, but had been greeted with 'ACCESS DENIED'. He had tried altering the ship's course after it had left, and had gotten an 'ACCESS DENIED'. He'd even tried overriding the lockdown that kept the crew sealed away, and had received another denial of service.

He paused as an idea struck him, then tapped the ship's internal communicator. It appeared that while none of the compartments beyond the bridge could talk to one another, he could talk to them from where he sat. He smiled. A few simple taps and he had access to the P.A. system in the brig. Now they were getting somewhere. He pulled up the camera screen, which the soldier had left open, and spoke into the haptic interface.

"Saren…Saren, can you hear me?" he said. On the screen, the occupants of the brig perked up and tried talking. Unfortunately, there was no microphone for them to talk to him with.

"Use your Omni-Tool and hold it up to the camera near the entrance." he said quickly. Immediately, his brother was in front of the lens and typing.

Why can't you use our Omni-Tools to speak? was the message he typed out and held up.

"The intruder has disabled all means of inter-ship communication. It's taken control of the Bridge and is using it to jam our Tools. I can't override it. None of the compartments can speak to each other or me, but I can talk to you." He explained as quickly as he could.

Are you unharmed? came the next question. Desolas smiled. That was his brother. Hard as a ship's hull to everyone except his little brother.

"I'm fine. I can't access much, but I have been able to confirm that no one's dead."

Options?

"Virtually nil. This…thing, did a wonder of a job of locking us out of our own systems. "

Why are you on the bridge?

Desolas hesitated.

"It dragged me up here and forced me to set course for an unchartered system."

Saren seemed to pause. Desolas saw his expression harden.

What?

"I told it we would take twelve hours to get there. That's how long we have to get through this, assuming it doesn't see through my ruse."

You always were a terrible liar, little brother. How much time do we really have

Desolas groaned.

"Three hours, give or take twenty minutes."

Saren put his hand to his forehead in exasperation, then typed a new message.

Can we negotiate?

"It threatened to suffocate you if I didn't obey. It said it needs to tell its leaders about what I'm assuming was that mass of exotic eezo isotope we found it in. They need it."

Tell me more.

"It says it's from some power called the Orokin Empire. I couldn't get much more out of it. It wasn't exactly in a talkative mood. There was a suit rat up here glued to the pilot's chair when it brought me in. It dragged her off after I set our course."

Which one?

"How should I know? Those damn Quarians all look the same in those hooded suits!" he growled.

Possibly an enemy collaborator?

"I don't think so. She looked pretty scared. Besides, that would require her knowing what the hell that thing was."

We'll sort that out later. Keep trying. See if there's a way to locate a manual override for the doors.

"I'll do my best." Desolas said, saluting even though his brother couldn't see him.

"Tell me more of your history." Tali asked. Atton had seemed very interested in her life story, but now she was growing even more curious about this mysterious Empire.

"The Empire is composed of the unified Core Systems and the Isolated Colonies. The Core Systems are sworn to the Origin System, and act as part of its domain, sharing technology and culture. The Isolated Colonies are just that, isolated. They do not share their technology, which varies wildly, though they do trade with us for resources. They have a pact of defense with the Core Systems, which has been tested many times, including during the Kerak War, the Xidus Conflict, and others. "

"I assume those were incidents with hostile alien powers?"

"Indeed. While we do know of many friendly alien species, some of whom cohabitated with the Isolated Colonies, there were some who were as expansionist as they were ruthless. The Kerak were a race of cybernetic crustaceans who swore to destroy humanity and its allies for standing in their way when they tried to subjugate a less advanced species. While powerful, their organic vessels and augmented prowess was no match for the military might of the Orokin. We drove them back to their homeworld and released a plague that made their bodies reject their implants, essentially reducing them to a non-spacefaring species."

"You…what, reset their civilization?"

"We gave them a second chance. We hoped that their second ascension from their world would result in a more peaceful, less power-hungry people. "

"And the Xidus?"

"They invaded our territory directly. While not so well versed in technology as the Kerak, they possessed an advantage of sheer numbers and a massive space-borne and planetary infrastructure. We fought them back to their homeworld." Atton paused. Tali finally broke the silence.

"What happened to them?"

"They went extinct when a rogue white dwarf star collided with their sun, causing a stellar nova. We tried our best to save them. They turned away all our efforts."

"You talked about a war with 'Sentients'. Who were they?" Tali asked innocently. She couldn't see his face, but she felt him grow colder somehow. The mood in the room darkened.

"I will not speak of them." he said flatly. Tali cleared her throat nervously.

"Tell me about the Origin System."

"The Origin System is composed of several major bodies united by the Solar Rail Network. The Inner Terminus of the Network lies at Mercury, and it ends at Pluto, where the Outer Terminus Gate stands. The Outer Gate links the worlds of the Empire together for all those who possess a key. We have fourteen worlds: Mercury, where the Inner Terminus lies, Venus, the former colony of the Orokin, Earth, the birthplace of humanity, Mars, the birthplace of the Orokin, Ceres, heart of the asteroid mining trade, Jupiter, the largest of our gas-planets, Europa, formerly a moon of Jupiter, Saturn, the only one of our planets with visible rings, Uranus, Nepture, Sedna, Pluto, with its Outer Terminus and Eris."

"What was that about Europa formerly being a moon?" she asked suspiciously. Atton shrugged.

"We moved it." He said nonchalantly. Tali tried out a number of responses in her head, ranging from 'You're joking' to 'That's impossible' and decided they all sounded stupid. Suddenly, Atton cocked his head to one side.

"What?" Tali asked.

"My Warframe is detecting a Tenno distress signal in this region." He stood up. "Come with me."

Desolas was trying to tell his brother how to manually overcome the door-locks when the alien warrior returned, with the accursed suit rat. She wasn't wearing any restraints, he noted. She must have either lulled the alien into a sense of false security…or be collaborating with it. Desolas was inclined to believe the latter. Suit rats with their race's sob-story would try and talk their way into the good graces of any race they encountered. If they managed to get on good terms with this alien…it could prove bad news for everyone.

"Stop the ship." He turned, seeing the alien and the quarian girl quickly coming up to the bridge, well, the alien was. The quarian was trying, and failing, to keep up. "I said stop the ship. Pull us out of FTL. Now." Desolas, realizing that it would be futile to even try and dissuade it from the action, let alone tell it of the risks, did so.

The ship lurched at the sudden deceleration, returning to normal space. Outside the normal empty void of space was the only thing most could see but for the Tenno, there was something else out there. A brother-Tenno calling for help. Pointing towards a seemingly random region of space, he ordered.

"Redirect our course to these coordinates." It pressed its hand into one of the nearby panel, which altered itself to show a new, much closer destination than the one Desolas had previously chartered.  
"Why?" he asked, doing as asked even as he made the inquiry. Better to appear compliant while acquiring information rather than risk Saren's life.

"We have a pickup to make." the alien said simply.

In his bones, Atton was worried. His Gate Key was inoperative, and while he had managed to secure a means of transport, he was unable to contact any part of the Empire. And now he was receiving a distress beacon…an all too familiar one.

It took them ten minutes to make their way to the source of the signal. Atton didn't need to work the ship's systems too hard to lock onto the cryo-pod that was producing it with an external camera. When he saw it, and scanned for life-signs , his heart sank.

"Is that another cryo-pod?" Tali asked curiously.

"That," he said sadly, "is my apprentice."

Atton left Desolas on the Bridge, still glued to his seat, but brought Tali down with him to the port-side hangar bay. He didn't know why, but he felt that of the aliens he had met so far on this vessel, he could trust the Quarian to cooperate. At first he didn't know how he'd bring the pod aboard, but then remembered the prototype grappling hook that he had been equipped with for the survey mission that seemed so long ago now. He left Tali in the corridor outside the hangar, took control of the doors electronically, and held on as his magnetized soles kept him from being blown out into the void as he overrode the airlock controls. After that, it was a simple matter to pull the pod aboard, and then reseal the airlock. He allowed Tali into the hangar, and she stood silently by while he manipulated the haptic interface of the pod. After a little tinkering, the capsule hissed open, and Atton stared down at the Excalibur-clad body of his late protégé, Phillip Neillsen.

Memories poured back in, though they stung like ice. He had been tasked with locating ripe sources of Rubedo by the Lotus. It had seemed like a relatively simple task, so he had been allowed, at his request, to bring Phillip along. They had taken out a two-man deep-range shuttle, equipped with insertion craft and minimal weaponry. He had told Phillip to watch over the ship for a week while he investigated an unchartered system. Then his insertion craft had crashed on the desolate planet where these aliens had found him. Said craft contained their pilots in small- coffin-shaped pods at their heart that allowed control via neural interface. In a pinch, however, the pod doubled as a cryogenic container, and could be ejected like an escape pod, should the craft fail.

Looking down at his apprentice's body, he realized why there had never been a rescue. But even so, wouldn't the Empire have noticed that two of its hallowed warriors had vanished? Doubt, which had sown its seeds when his Gate Key had failed, began to grow even more in Atton's mind. He knelt by the lifeless body, his Warframe telling him that the biometrics of the Excalibur-frame before him had ceased nearly nine-hundred years ago. That was not good. He examined the pod's logs. They weren't very detailed, but they told him that the shuttle had come under attack and that the insertion craft been launched, then disabled. The cause of death was a cryopod malfunction. The freezing process was executed improperly, causing irreparable tissue damage. He growled. He'd have to conduct a funeral ceremony…

"Who was he?" The Quarian's voice made him start.

"He was my apprentice. We came out here to hunt Rubedo together."

Slowly he knelt, removing his helm and placing it on the floor. Slowly he removed the weapons from the pod with an almost ritual slowness before removing the helmet of his apprentice. Atton's heart broke at the sight. He had hoped once he had learned that a cryopod error had killed him, his apprentice had died peacefully. It seemed fortune frowned not only upon him, but his apprentice, his face was frozen in fear and agony when he died. He closed his apprentice's eyes and did his best to rearrange him so that he appeared to be asleep, his helmet on his torso.

Atton gazed down at the body of his fellow Tenno, laid out in as stately a manner as he had been able to achieve. He had placed the Skana, prototype series Braton and ancient Lato next to him. With the candles lit, he began the Prayer for the Fallen.

Tenno prayers were not long, and never referred to the Creator. In the Empire, it was widely believed that some force had brought the universe into being, but also that that force was not interested in the workings of its creation. If it felt anything at all, it was generally assumed that it was a desire for its creation to have free will. No, Tenno and most other prayers were directed towards the spirits of ones ancestors and the spirit of man, as well towards future generations yet to be born. For example. 'Ancestors, guide my hand, children, show me the way' was a common prayer in those who were unsure of themselves.

The Tenno prayer for the dead, however, was directed at the one universal entity that every sapient living thing believed in. Even synthetics knew of it.

_O Death,_

_You, the one who waits at the end of all journeys,_

_I call to thee._

_Guide this one to the place of rest, and let him know joy everlasting._

_Let him walk in the house of his ancestors, and see again all those who have gone before him._

_Lead him on the last journey, to the place where no shadows fall._

_Let your wings of raven's plumage_

_carry him to the place where no evil dwells,_

_and shield him on his final voyage._

_Let his shell be returned to dust, for from the stars we came, and to them we return,_

_from now, until the end of time._

Atton bowed his head and touched his head, then either side of his chest, reciting the names of the three things that would outlast time itself. Not freedom and justice, for those were mortal constructs, and they changed with the turning of time.

In the name of hope, faith…and love…amen.

Then Atton closed his eyes. A tear ran down his face and he clenched his teeth. It shouldn't be like this. The boy had only been ordained eight months ago…well, before the voyage of course. He should never have been with him. But the Empire had been desperate. For the first time in generations, the Rubedo had been running short. Without the precious mineral, the Empire would grind to a halt and collapse. So the Tenno had been called on, to go out and find rich Rubedo deposits awaiting harvest. It should have been a simple run. Now…now he was alone, trapped onboard and alien ship with a bunch of primitive, prejudiced idiots.

The ceremony complete, Atton examined the pod further. If he was right, then…ah, yes. Excellent. From within the frame he retrieved a trio of weapons. There was a large, deadly-looking pistol, a blade with an organic feel to its design and a compact assault rifle. The Tenno warrior grinned. He might be cut off from his people, but at least he was not unarmed. His own had long since been lost as they were kept separate from his pod as his pod was left planetside rather than on a vessel. Standard protocol for Tenno to enter pods unarmed when planetside should others need them and time could not be spared to awaken the Tenno.

He picked up the sword. It was a training blade, a Skana. They were perpetually sharp, and were 'grown' from bio-metallic materials. All Initiates carried them, until they crafted their own weapons. The same went for the Lato pistol and the Braton MK-1 rifle. They were mass produced and widely distributed. A Tenno seeking better arms had to make them. The Lato was an ancient design, itself older than he was by centuries and remained largely unchanged. It was operable but useless. The munitions had long since been lost or expended and was useful as little more than a cudgel. He strapped it to his thigh before picking up the rifle.

When they had first given these to him and his 'brother' they were among the first to be made and were to be the new standard of weapons for the Tenno. Both time and ice had ravaged the weapon; he was weary of what how durable it was now but nonetheless he clamped the rifle to his back, if only for safe keeping. When he picked up the last time, the Skana, warmth and familiarity embraced him. "Haven't used one of these in a long time." The Skana was the first weapon all Tenno were trained to use, its use and the skills becoming second nature to the Tenno, the blade an extension of their arm. The blade itself appeared to be undamaged, new, but he knew better. The beauty of the Skana was that it was, 'alive', in a sense. Being able to repair itself, staying as though it had just been made. "Hello, old friend." He stood, taking a few experimental swings with the blade, not realizing he was being watched.

Tali watched as the Tenno mourned over his brother, unsure of what to do. She had led a comparatively sheltered life, being the daughter of an Admiral of the Flotilla. What funerals they had were short and ended in cremation. But here she was, watching, wishing she could do something to help. She began to move forward when Atton stood, the strange weapons now attached to his body, the strange sword in his hand.

Then he swung. Once, twice, three times, constantly moving. To her eyes he was little more than a blur, moving with such lethal speed and grace she felt she was watching more of a dance than a sword style. Each swing lethal every move calculated. She had no doubt that even a krogan would fall under that blade. But they were familiar, then she remembered. She had seen those same actions when he had first awakened and what he had done with the pipe. She shuddered, imagining what would have happened if he had that blade instead of the pipe when he awoken. A sudden laugh brought her back to the real world.

Replacing the skana on his back, he laughed, "I still got it." Looking back at the body of his fellow Tenno, Atton couldn't help but wonder if any of his other fellow Tenno were still alive.

Desolas was ready to panic. There was nothing he could do. Within a few minutes they would reach their destination and there was no conceivable way he could delay things any further. When the alien warrior finally reappeared and stepped up behind him, he was only half-way through helping Saren manually override the door to the brig.

"Drop us out of FTL." the alien commanded. With no other choice, Desolas obeyed. The stars flashed back into existence on the bridge's primary view-screen. With it came something else…black against the stars, with orange highlights, a huge vessel, easily the size of a medium-range dreadnaught.

"What is that?" he asked, squinting at the thing.

The vessel was massive…and incredibly ugly. It looked like a cancerous insect, with dozens of spines and bulging pods, totally unlike the graceful structure of the alien warrior. Large round portholes dotted the sides. What made it scary, however, was that it was emitting the same strange energy signature as the exotic eezo deposits they'd found the cryo-pod in.

While the design of the vessel was fascinating, that was nothing compared the effect it had on the alien warrior.

"Get us out of here, now!" it roared, but it was too late. Desolas saw little flashes of light on the sides of the great behemoth, followed by long black lines streaking across the blackness of space to slam into the hull of the ship. Instantly hull breach alerts popped up on Desolas' controls. None of them were in occupied areas, happily, but Desolas was still shocked. Had they just been hit with…grappling hooks?! The alien warrior grabbed him.

"Tell me this ship has defenses." It begged. Desolas snorted.

"Yes, but you-" he began, before the alien took control of the haptic interface. Suddenly, 'ACCESS GRANTED' appeared on the holographic screens.

"Target that vessel, now. Don't stop until we're dead or they are." the alien demanded.

"Who are they!?" Desolas said.

"It doesn't matter who they are. All that matters is what you are to them. Believe me, if they get onboard this ship, they will kill most of your crew and save a few for interrogation. That's the best you can hope for." Grabbing Desolas's shoulder the alien yelled, "Now open fire! Or we're all dead!"

"Why?!"

"Because you're alien, and they're the Grineer."

Desolas hesitated, caught between the hammer and the anvil. With no other choice, he activated the GARDIAN defense lasers. They had been fired upon after all, he thought, justifying his actions even as he made them.

The bright blue beams of the GARDIAN system flashed out to strike the shields of the enormous bloated vessel, only to slam into a glowing blue energy field almost totally unlike the kinetic barriers Desolas was used to. According to his sensors, the field registered the incoming fire to a certain degree, but it wasn't a large degree. At this rate, the system would overheat and go into cool-down before overcoming the barrier. He wondered if he could pour enough thrust into the engines to dislodge the grappling hooks…

It was too late though. The GARDIAN laser batteries, already focused on the ship's hull in a haphazard scattered pattern, couldn't keep up with the salvos of missiles and rail-gun blasts the alien ship suddenly started firing. At first Desolas was amused. Rail-guns and missiles? It was laughably primitive…until the missiles began to divide into multiple warheads and the shots of rail-guns made impact. The bridge shook as solid steel slugs and tiny nuclear warheads slammed into the hull in a rain of destruction. They focused on the ship's defenses and propulsion, making sure that there was no way it'd be running anywhere, or shooting back.

"We've lost our engines! Weapon systems are at thirty percent!" Desolas shouted as a control panel exploded. Suddenly the last of the haptic interfaces flickered out. As they did, the bombardment stopped. The alien warrior drew his sword. There was a swish and Desolas thought it was going to kill him, until he fell forward, his gooey bonds having been sliced neatly off him.

"Get up." it growled, "We need to prepare for boarding action."

"What!? You've locked everyone in! You've sealed the armory! We can't defend ourselves!" Desolas roared at the thing.

"You have two choices." it answered, "Work with me or die. If you prefer the latter, I can fulfill your wish right here and now. It'll be a mercy compared to what the Grineer will do."

Desolas gaped, but finally acquiesced, especially when he saw the small pods, with blazing engines hurtling towards them, large grasping robot pincers on their fronts.

Saren was still trying to complete the manual override on the door with the instructions his brother had given him when the said door slammed open, nearly costing him a few fingers. The ship's V.I. suddenly popped up on the nearest holographic interface.

"All hands, prepare to repel boarders. Repeat, all hands prepare to repel boarders." It said calmly. Saren was confused. Was this his brother's doing. Had he found a loophole in the alien's security measures? Not one to look a gift Nafak in the mouth, he turned to the rest of the occupants of the brig. They were mostly scientists, though he spotted a fair number of security personnel laced throughout them. He made his way upstream through the throng, who were now congregating around the open door until he reached the highest ranking officer he could find.

"You," he barked over the chatter, "what is your name." His target was another Turian with the mark of a Sergeant.

"Garrus Vakarian, Spe- sir." he stuttered, clearly humbled that a Spectre was choosing to speak to him. Perhaps he could use that.

"Gather you people. Where is the nearest armory on this deck?"

The first sight of the boarders Desolas got was when were on their way to the deck's armory. The alien had unsealed the entire ship, allowing the crew out, and using the V.I. to direct them to the armories. Desolas didn't hold out much hope. The majority of the crew were scientists, Asari and Salarian, with other minor species scattered throughout. The only major resistance they had onboard was the all-Turian security force. It was supposed to be an exploratory vessel, not a military scout.

This was why when he looked down a hallway and saw a huge rectangular hole explode open in the side, he dove for cover. Out of the massive aperture marched big, blue and black armored figures. They towered at almost seven feet tall, with huge thigh-pads and enormous shoulder-armor. In fact, the armor was so big that it virtually obscured the features of its wearers. Desolas thought he saw a face like an Asari's, but wrinkled and as ugly as the attacking space ship, They carried big orange-yellow rifles with which they swept the area, seeking targets.

He looked around desperately for the alien warrior, seeking protection. Even as he did there was a flash of blue. Suddenly the alien warrior was in the midst of the new soldiers, one of which was now lying on the ground, smoking and cut cleanly in two, vertically. Desolas gaped. That armor had looked tough enough to stop anything short of heavy arms fire…and the alien warrior had cut through it with that strange sword like paper. Before his thoughts could go further, the new aliens had turned to attack the interloper, which instantly cut down two more of their number. Unfortunately, six more soldiers leapt through the hole in the hull, taking up position and firing their rifles with discipline that would've made any Turian proud. It just made Desolas afraid.

Tali watched in fear as the new aliens opened up with suppressing fire on Atton, who dove for cover behind one of the bulkhead supports. The big yellow rifles they carried looked as ugly and primitive as their armor, but they were clearly very heavy-caliber weapons, given the way they dented the bulkhead with every round.

Desperate to help, she sifted through her options, and smacked her forehead, or would have, if her face-plate hadn't been in the way. She pulled up her Omni-Tool and activated some…custom features.

Atton took cover as gunfire from Grineer rifles rained down on him. This was both good and bad news. In the time he had been gone, Grineer technology had remained as primitive as ever. They had certainly become more powerful though, but their appearances remained largely unchanged since he had last seen them several hundred years ago. When he had first seen the Grineer warship, it took a moment for him to recall the cancerous designs of Grineer vessels since he saw the last one, his blood running cold once he realized it. Their weapons looked the same as the ones he had seen on the battlefield if smaller. The fact that they were out here though…and attacking in such force, it meant the Grineer had grown incredibly powerful.

The last time Atton had seen the Grineer, born of the murderous and xenophobic Templar Heresy, two-thousand years ago, they had been consigned to a backwater corner of Earth, where they were to rot. Personally, Atton would have slaughtered the lot of them, but imperial tacticians said that to attack the last Grineer stronghold, located under the Gobi Desert, would be insanity. Orbital bombardment was out of the question too. So they had been left to decay with their clone army under the shifting sands.

Clearly, that hadn't been a good idea.

Suddenly, the fire stopped and he heard the sound of grunting and growls of irritation. He peeked out. A little ball of light was dancing among the massive Grineer Lancers, who were swatting at it as it bobbed up to their faces then darted away. One of them tried shooting it, but it was simply too agile. Beyond the quickly-becoming-enraged soldiers, Atton saw Tali manipulating her Omni-Tool frantically and grinned.

Waiting no further, he leapt out from behind cover and hurled his Skana at the closest Lancer. It whirled end over end and buried itself in his face as he turned around. He jumped forward with a deadly kick, pulling the blade free even as the soldier collapsed, then unleashed a Radial Blind. The Grineer screamed and their hands flew to their eyes. Some even dropped their weapons. He saw the Turian scramble to seize one, then shout and drop it in pain as its security systems rejected him. Atton snorted. Really, didn't these fools know anything about making guns? It was a fool's gambit to build weapons that could easily be turned against its user at will.

Before the Blind had worn off, he was among the fourteen Lancers that had come through the gap, Skana flying like a blade made of air, whistling as it slashed apart armor and flesh and crude cybernetics with ease. Grineer fell left and right, but more emerged to replace them. In response, he grabbed a grenade from one of the fallen, and, moving with immense speed, armed it, then jammed it into the gap between the helmet and shoulder pads of the newest Lancer, before delivering a jump-kick to the head which sent him staggering back into the boarding pod. There was an enormous explosion followed by a large number of screams. A Grineer Trooper staggered through, dropping his shotgun, trying to beat out the flames, before collapsing in a heap. Silence finally reigned over the hallway. Then the Grineer's Sanitization Implants began to kick in. Armor, flesh and cybernetics flash-vaporized, becoming ash slowly at first, but with increasing speed as the process progressed.

Job done, Atton turned back to his charges.

"Thank you, Tali. Your quick thinking saved me there." he said kindly, returning the Skana to his back. He was sure the girl blushed behind her face-plate. He turned to Desolas who was clutching his talons where the weapon had flash-cooked them.

"Don't bother trying to pick up any of the weapons. All weapons in the Empire are manufactured with user identification systems to prevent them being used against their makers, even those made by the Grineer." Desolas growled, and then waved some of the rising ash out of his eyes.

"Why are they melting?" he asked, stalking out of cover to poke at one of the disintegrating corpses with a toe.

"Sanitization implants. The Grineer…have no concern for their soldiers. They don't need to." He knelt by one of the glowing corpses, picking up on the weapons ignoring the slow rate at which his shields fell. "Interesting, they certainly have learned haven't they?" He picked up the rifle, his armor analyzing it and copying the specs before the rifle dropping the rifle. He turned back to the turian who was still watching the quickly disappearing corpses.

"Why?"

Atton turned and began to root through the other weapons of the fallen. The grenades might be useful, but if he was right…

"The Grineer were born of an extremist movement dedicated to absolute genetic purity, the obliteration of sapient machines and the destruction of all alien life. To further their goals, they bred a clone army…this army," he said gesturing to the corpses as he picked up another of the rifles, this time noticing the name emblazoned on the side "Grakata huh? Still unimaginative as always, after three hundred years you think they would come up with something more imaginative." and removed its ammo cartridge," but over time the extreme genetic degradation and aging forced them to contravene their own beliefs for the sake of convenience. The last time I saw them, the Grineer were a dying people, suffering from mass produced cloning defects compensated for by cybernetics and afflicted with psychological problems as far-reaching as their failing genetics. Their technology is primitive, but durable…just like them it appears." He continued to do with the other rifles, stacking the now empty weapons in a haphazard pile as he stripped them of their weapons. He paused, comparing these Grineer to those he had faced long ago. 'They're gotten better' The armor took a half second longer for him to slice through then before, and their aim had if nothing at least improved. He would have to be careful if he ever faced them in larger numbers.

He unlimbered the Braton MK-1 prototype and slotted the ammo clip into place. The weapon hummed to life in his hands. In the Empire, ammunition did not take the form of prepackaged boxes of shells, or heat-sinks and ammo-blocks like these aliens used. It came in the form of a mix of raw materials, much like the 'Omni-Gel' the Council used, encased in a durable packet, standardized in shape and contents. Weapons in the Empire drew upon these 'Ammo Reservoirs' to feed their internal nano-factories which assembled bullets inside the weapon itself. The speed of the process could be upgraded and downgraded, allowing for a proportionately higher or lower rate of fire. This applied only to solid-projectile weapons of course. For lasers, plasma weapons and other, more exotic guns, the process was not so simple. He did not understand how the process work, having only a passing interest in the actual mechanics. The only ones who knew besides the designers were those who wore the Vauban systems, being those more knowledgeable about weapons and Warframes after Forge-workers and the Orokin themselves.

Comforted by the hum of the weapon, he pulled back the bolt priming the first round into the chamber, the rifle itself making a very satisfying clacking noise as it chambered a round and test-fired it into one of the evaporating corpses. Making his companions jump, the rifle being far louder than most Eezo-based assault rifles, he repeated the process with the Lato pistol. Satisfied and fully armed, he beckoned to the two aliens.

Turning back to the two, he redrew the Braton, "Now let's get you armed. Follow me."

Desolas eyed the Quarian girl suspiciously the rest of the way to the Armory. The girl had a Sentinel App, did she? Standard Omni-Tools weren't supposed to have those. They were for military usage only. He wondered what poor soul the bitch had doubtlessly stolen it off of.

The deck's armory was pathetically understocked. A few shotguns, a quartet of assault rifles, and lots of pistols. Somehow, Desolas didn't see any of these standing up to the heavy-caliber rifles of these new aliens. He stared glumly at the guns, while the alien warrior manipulated the controls to open the storage lockers. The Quarian girl grabbed a shotgun. Desolas didn't protest. He was probably going to die and for all their foul qualities, he had to admit that Quarians were good when it came to repelling boarders. You had to be if you spent your life in a spaceship, roaming from world to world. The deck shook under his feet as he grabbed an assault rifle, letting it extend and unfold in his hands. The sound of boot-steps could be heard from beyond the armory.

"Spirits, protect me." he whispered, and slotted an ammo block into his weapon.

"For the love, aim for their faces!" Saren threw another overpowered biotic warp, staggering one of the krogan-tall creatures boarding the ship. "It's the only part that's vulnerable! Don't waste your ammo!" He turned the corner, firing his Spectre-licensed protoytype heavy-pistol, having reacquired it from his personal quarters en-route to deal with the boarders. He watched as the super-accelerated rounds found their mark, embedding themselves inside the creature's ugly misshapen face. Erupting in fountain of crimson gore, its body falling backward as it was rocked by the impact. Before he could revel in the small victory Saren turned back around the corner as heavy-caliber rounds slammed into the walls. As he reloaded his pistol he was glad that these aliens were as big as they were, the small corridors of the ship forcing them into a bottleneck. For all the good it did, as it was, he was the only one to have killed any of them. Several of the civilians were already dead or dying, the others were too shellshocked to be of any good, terrified by what was happening. The others who could fight were already dead or located at other entry points along the ship. "Spirits just what are these monsters?" He had seen one of those creatures take a full load to its torso from the civilians and walked on firing as though they were stun rounds. And their weapons were the size of a light machine gun but they wielded them as though they were rifles! Others had charged forward with massive cleavers and rods, one of them had set a civilian on fire before he had killed it was an overpowered warp and shockwave combination.

That was another thing about these aliens. Saren had taken down a Krogan battlemaster in his life with a single overpowered warp that had left him winded, shredding the krogan into so many pieces in a torrent of dark energy. These things fell to his overpowered warps but he had to finish them off with his sidearm. He was running on adrenaline and willpower at this point.

He heard one of the asari with him scream, "Goddess! What is that abomination!?" Turning to look down the hall, Saren went slack jawed at what he saw: a massive alien similiar to the others clad in red armor with a massive cannon-like weapon its hand.

"Fall back! All of you get back! Run!" Hearing a cocking noise, he turned to face the red-armored behemoth. It took aim and fired, a massive rocket coming from the barrel. Saren, regarding his duty as a spectre called forth all his biotic strength and created the strongest barrier he could. The last thing he saw was the rocket hitting the wall and fire wrapping around him, the shockwave throwing him into a wall, his vision going black.

Another six Grineer soldiers fell to the floor, bisected at their torsos, the walls covered in their blood as they bodies fell apart. "By Hayden's Glaive, just how many of them are there?" Atton was beginning to feel exhausted, a side effect of cryo-sleep, his muscles despite not having atrophied in the slightest were still relatively rigid from not having moved in many years. The two with him, Tali and Desolas had been unable to aid him directly, not for a lack of effort. Their weapons simply could not penetrate the Grineer's armor, and when one feel, three took its place. And he was running out of energy, constantly using his lower tier techniques, Slash-Dash and Radial Blind repeatedly to give himself an edge. A Super Jump was useless in this bottle-necked corridors and the Radial Javelin would have been useless funneled as the Grineer were.

He looked back at the entrance portal as another squad boarded the ship. Another Grineer suicidally charged at him, sidestepping it, Atton drew his Skana, slicing it from groin to throat, grabbing its rifle as it fell, replacing his skana on his back at the same time, and fired on its cohorts behind, pulling the trigger and spraying high-caliber rounds, felling Grineer as the rounds meet their marks. Dropping the rifle, he redrew his Mk-1 Braton prototype and opened fire, clogging the hallway with bodies, shell casings clattering onto the floor joining the hundreds already on the floor slick with spent brass and blood. The bodies fading as the internal implants destroyed the corpses, clearing the path for more Grineer to pour in. He couldn't keep this up indefinitely, the Grineer would just keep throwing numbers at him until he was overwhelmed, or they were all dead. And the smallest Grineer warship could hold thousands. And he had the others to worry about. Primitives though they may be, it was still his duty as a Tenno to protect them. He grasped his skana and began to channel energy, "Tali! Take the other one with you and get out of here! Find the others of your crew and try and free the ship if you can!" He drew his Lato with his left hand, his right still on his skana, and fired, killing a trio of Grineer lancers with headshots. "On my signal,"

Despite the words being far different from the old languages of Earth and Humanity, he still understood the harsh and grating voice, "I think not Tenno…" he turned, finding himself face to face with an incredibly old and enhanced Grineer, flanked by at least half a dozen Heavy Gunners. The creature looked far older than the rest of his kin, and tubes emerged from his torso, draped over his thighs as though his intestines were dangling out of his chest. He scowled when he saw what has attached to the creature's left breast plate: an Orokin Gate Key. "A Prime…It has been a while since I killed one of your kind Tenno." Atton tightened his grip on his Skana and began to collect his energy again. The Grineer leader held up a finger, waving it back and forth. "Ah-ah-ah Tenno, I wouldn't try that if I were you. Unless you wish to see your new friends slaughtered before you?" It was then Atton realized two the Heavy Gunners had their machine guns on their backs and instead were holding onto prisoners: Tali and Desolas. The Grineer woman showed no effort on their part holding them despite the pairs' struggling. "Surrender Tenno, or your pets die. And trust me...we'll be very creative in carrying out that promise..."

Atton's grip tightened even further at the threat, his knuckles turning white under the armor. The bastard Grineer had him cornered and they both knew it. He was low on energy for his abilits and even if he desire to, lacked the energy to pull off a Radial Javelin. Realizing his defeat, his grip slackened as he straightened his body, then stuck the Skana in the deck and knelt.

"Yes...good. The best place for all those not of the Grineer. On their knees." crowed the ancient creature, who then stepped forward, his mechanical guts making an ugly, disgusting slapping noise as they smacked on his thighs. He reached up to where the Gate Key was nestled on his right breast and pulled it free.

"Normally, I'd simply kill you, Tenno, and the entire crew as well. But I have traveled far and wide and have never seen such aliens as these. Tyl Regor will have great fun cataloging them when I bring them to him. As for you...well...I'm always looking for another Tenno to mount on my wall..."

The last thing he saw was the Gate Key in the Grineer's hand before being blasted by golden energy, thrown backwards and smacking headfirst into the bulkhead. Then darkness embraced him.

Inside the Origin System itself…

The gathering hall was a seldom used part of Clan Alecto's dojo. It was only when the Lotus called that it was opened up. Made to seat over five-hundred Tenno, the mere thirty present seemed out of place in the vast circular chamber. At its center was a large holographic podium, from which the Lotus could project her avatar or any related data to the briefings she routinely gave to the gathered. It was one of many Clan stations that were currently occupied. Dozens of others were indeed active as many other clans reclaimed their homes. But it was a paltry number compared to the once thousands if not hundreds of thousands of clan homes created during the peak of the Orokin Empire.

At present, the premiere members of the clan were discussing the recent events since they had awakened, and what they had learned about 'the Long Night' in which they had been absent. Nathan Durandul, son of Gabriel Orichalum, a venerated warrior, was currently discussing the liberation of a host of slaves from the mines of Caloris.

"-never believe what it's like down there. The clone bastards didn't even have the decency to install some proper lighting. Their loss, really." The mine was just one of thousands that they had liberated from the Grineer. Freeing those within and taking whatever resources and supplies that laid within.

His friend, Follower-of-the-Path, an old soldier in a Rhino Warframe who had trampled many a Grineer face into the dust of Mercury since he had awoken, chuckled. "Taught 'em to fear the dark, didja?"

"Oh you should've seen the looks on their faces when I opened up their commander's throat."

"Fear the dark? You should have made them fear the light." Another one of the Tenno, a Volt, Nikola Masamure added. "Make them piss their armor wherever they are."

Nathan burst out laughing. "And where would be the fun in that, Nikola? Its better when they think they're safe! And then-" he drew a finger across his throat.

Follower shook his head. "BAH! That's no fun!" Leaning forward he said, "What's hilarious is when you just stand there taking everything and the looks on their faces once they run out of ammo."

Nathan laughed again, before the sound of metal against metal drew everyone's attention to the center of the chamber, where Haigen Montoya, the head of Clan Alecto's inner circle was standing in his Frost Prime Warframe, patiently tapping his Reaper Prime scythe on the floor. Everyone grew silent. Haigen, as head of Clan Alecto's inner circle, (which included Follower and Nathan), commanded the utmost respect from his clanmates. He was also one of the few to have his gear and weapons come through the Long Night unscathed. Many in the Clan had had to replace their beloved swords and guns and other weapons when they awoke, the originals having succumbed to the wear of time. As the silence grew, he looked around the assembled warrior solemnly. No one was presently wearing their helmets, so everyone could see the grim expression he wore

Follower stood and gave a slow salute. "Uh hello there...sir..." Everyone could feel the sweat starting to bead on their faces. Haigen had a reputation of being virtually bipolar. One moment he is incredibly relaxed and free going and the next was a hard-ass comparable to drill-segeants of old-Earth. "We uh...didn't realize you returned sir."

Haigen just gave him a calm, cool look as frosty as the suit he wore, which sent Follower sinking back into his seat. Then he turned back to the crowd. "Brothers and sisters, the Lotus has dire news...but also a great plan, one that she is trusting us to see through. If we succeed, we will shatter the Grineer's hold on Mercury...and perhaps more." The holographic projector at the center of the room flickered to life while the lights dimmed. The Lotus manifested in the midst of the warriors, tall and regal in her purple rainment and robes, her flower-like mask concealing an attractive female visage. The Tenno immediately all rose and bowed.

With a wave of her hand, the Lotus conjured up an image of a Grineer Galleon. "Greetings Tenno. An opportunity has arisen to fully assert out control of this region. Captain Vor has since left his fortress and now returns." The fortress the Lotus had mentioned was one the Tenno had attempted to assault before, three teams of four had been sent to infilitrate, find and assassinate the Grineer captain. Their bodies had been found outside, impaled to its walls, stripped of their warframes. "We have a chance here Tenno. The death of Captain Vor will result in chaos in the Grineer command network in this region. But that is not all." She waved her hand again and on the Galleon, several regions were highlighted. "Strange energy readings have been detected aboard the vessel, similiar to rubedo." The eyes of the assembled Tenno widened. Rubedo was in short supply before the "Long Night" from what they remembered and now was even worse. Every scrap of rubedo was precious. "But that is not all. This mission will not be easy. Vor maybe returning alone but it has become far more complicated. Another Tenno has been found. And Vor has him."

There was no shouting, no cries of anger and disdain. Tenno weren't the most vocal about their rage, but the air in the room seemed to drop several degrees in temperature as cold fury filled them. The ugly walking corpse had cost those present friends who were like family, and now he DARED in his arrogance to hold one of their own prisoner... The Lotus paused before continuing.

"Marshal Haigen, choose from your inner circle the best of your warriors. I am calling upon warrior from Clans Shinto and Gallente to supplement your forces. They will attack the ship's vital systems. Your soldiers will rescue the hostages and secure the ship. Then if you can prevent him escaping, you have my blessing to bring Vor to justice and see that he is punished for his crimes...by any means you see fit." Nathan and Follower smiled cruel smiles, as did many of the others present. Such a blessing was like a blanket pardon for whatever they might choose to do Vor. If they had their way, they'd make an example of him and post videos of what they did to him on the Corpus-run Civil Information Network that spanned the Origin System.

Crossing his arm he bowed. "As you order, milady Lotus." With that the holoform of the Lotus faded and disappered. As the lights in the room grew to their normal luminescense, Haigen pointed at Nathan and Follower, "You two will be on rescue duty. Crack open those cells with your bare hands if you have to. Kasumi will be accompanying you, along with Zaieed. Raiden, Alexander and Baldur will be accompanying me. Vor will not leave that ship alive."

"Yes, Clan Marshal." said Nathan and Follower together, crossing their arms and bowing as tradition dictated. Then Haigen stamped his Reaper Prime on the floor.

"This meeting is adjourned." With those orders, the Tenno he called out moved for the armory. Each intent on claiming their helmets and arms for the coming mission.

Follower and Nathan progressed at a leisurely pace, allowing most of their brother and sister Tenno warriors to move ahead of them. However, a few hung back to match stride with them or form groups around them. Many of these broke off on different routes until Follower and Nathan were alone.

"I can't wait to get my hands on that Corpse Captain." Follower growled. He had been in charge of a number of slave liberations on Elion; What he had seen had filled him with such rage and bile that he had turned over the remaining Grineer to the slaves instead of executing them as was dictated. The Grineer didn't suffer 'genetic impurities' or aliens to live, but base human stock, those with no cybernetic or genetic enhancements were often left alive as slaves, made to work in the bowels of the mines on Mercury and its satellites "The fucking bastard has one of our brothers on his ship. There's no fucking way he's getting out this alive. Damn my orders." One could hear the gauntlets of the Rhino warframe creak under the pressure as the Tenno tightened his fists.

"He's going to pay my friend. With every ounce of what passes for blood in his veins and every remaining pound of flesh on his bones, he will pay for what he has done. However I can't help but wonder who he is holding captive. So far as we know, no Tenno are present at the Outer Terminus, or anywhere else in the system for that matter...I-"he was cut off as they descended some steps only for Nathan to become entangled in what appeared to be an enormous spider-web.

Follower palmed his face at the sight, muttering, "Seriously... why now?" Nathan just laughed.

A slim figure bounded out from behind a nearby pillar and pirouetted in front of Nathan.

Kasumi walked a pair of fingers up Nathan's chest.

"Gotcha!" she giggled. He shrugged. The massive spider-web dissolved into nothing more than pure thought.

"You had me convinced there…" Nathan chuckled, "…for all of six seconds. That's a new record Kassie…"

The Nyx-clad assassin draped her arms around her amour's neck.

"You're no fun when you play hard to get." she pouted.

"Can you two love-birds do this later?" Follower grumbled. Nathan straightened up.

"You're right of course, Folls. We have a lost comrade to retrieve." He said, suddenly all business.

There was a loud whistle from the far end of the hall, causing the three to look over at a tall Vauban-clad man with one blind eye. "Oi! Didn't you hear the purple lady!? Let's move!" The three rolled their eyes. Zaieed Massani was as grizzled as they came, and liked to think of himself as the only one of the small clique of Tenno that orbited Nathan and Follower with some tactical sense.

Follower tapped his friend's shoulder, "Why do we have to bring along this old geezer?" He asked purpousely being loud, "I mean, he's only going to slow us down."

Zaieed's snorted. "You want to spend the rest of your days staring at a locked door, be my guest."

Follower grinned. "Dunno, I could always try busting through them with my...gauntleted hands."

"Good luck with that." Zaieed chuckled.

"Broke into your room pretty easily didn't I?" Follower retorted.

"Enough of this gay banter, let us make hither to the armory..." Nathan said in a faux-english accent, which earned him a smack from Follower.

"Stop imitating that ancient lingo. I should never have brought that archeological material back." Before Nathan could open his mouth, Follower raised his again. "Do you want another slap? I will hurt you." Nathan opened his mouth. He shut it. Then opened and shut it again and finally shrugged.

"Come on."

**Alecto Armory #3**

The armory was a rather large chamber, a long corridor with cylindrical indentations along each wall, each one had a name inscribed along it's inner curve on the floor in High Orokin. Each belonging to a single member of the clan, stocked with the weapons each Tenno had procured, purchased, built or stolen.

At the far end was Haigen's niche, where he now knelt on a glowing pad as his weapons were procured, a Latron Prime and a Bronco Prime to compliment his Reaper Prime scythe. "Grab as much as ammo as you can carry, I shouldn't have to remind you that."

The Tenno nodded and entered their niches. The weapons were stored in energy matrices, much like the way a Tenno could store a captive in the matrices of their own Warframe. One only needed to select and prepare the weapon they desired and it would be reconstituted, ready for use.

For Kasumi, there was a Paris bow, an excellent an silent tool of destruction, accompanied by Hikou throwing stars and last but not least, a Glaive, the very symbol of the Tenno order. The weapon was modeled after the one used by the first Tenno, Hayden, said to have lived thousands of years ago, and to have survived until the close of the war with the Sentients. His weapon had been grown from his own metallic flesh, the first flesh to successfully bond with the Technocyte virus, unlike Kasumi's weapon, which was composed of morphics, nano spores and alloy plating.

Hayden's death had resulted in the birth of the Tenno as an Order, and the Glaive was woven into their culture. To wield one was considered a great honor.

Nathan, on the other hand, chose a pair of Bolto pistols, which in the doctrines of the Tenno were known as Akbolto when wielded together, just like the Aklato he had originally used before making them. They were accompanied by a Boltor rifle and a set of dual Dark Swords, or rather, a Dark Sword and a Dark Dagger, wielded with one in each hand.

Strapping his weapons on to his back and his thighs, he looked over his shoulder at his companions. Distracted by Kasumi as she placed her weapons in their place before looking at Follower. "So, you bring that great big eyesore you call a blade with you again?"

Instead of answering, he drew a Grineer Gorgon machine gun he had ripped from the still then-living hands of its last owner before turning it on them. Strapping to his thigh one of the few and powerful Lex pistols to his right thigh. Being granted the right to the weapon by sheer strength. Shaking his head, he answered, "No, not this time. I want to get a little more...personal this time..."

As he said this, the golden light conjured up a pair of nasty looking hand-mounted weapons, with big spikes in the knucles. Normally Tenno did not use the weapons of their enemies, but in recent times, many had started to do so. The Furax Follower now wore were usually used by Grineer Powerfists, and each spike carried a directed gravitational charge, making every blow a sledgehammer. This, coupled with his own Warframe's brute strength, meant he could now push his hand through the chest of a fully armored Grineer Bombard and out the other side. Many a grineers blood had baptized the weapons, and would do so again. Nathan grimaced at the sight of the brutal weapons, remembering the last time he had seen the weapon in action. With one uppercut, Follower had smacked the head right off a Grineer Commander and sent it flying fifty meters.

By and by, those weapons rarely saw the light of day, Follower preferring to use his Gram broadsword instead. The sight of the Furax meant he was enraged... Nathan couldn't blame him. Vor had earned the ire of the Tenno many times over with his ruthlessness and obsession over retrieving Orokin artifacts at any cost.

Zaieed swaggered over, carrying a pair of Grineer Viper pistols and a Corpus Dera. On his back was a Prova shock stick. Zaieed fought dirty with the thing, smacking his enemies and them electrocuting them with its arcing length, or just dancing around them and tormenting them with it, half to irritate them and half to drive them into a rage. It was also an effective battlefield interrogation tool.

He wasn't above using it on people who annoyed him either. It's variable charge meant he could safely use it to give his friends a casual zap when he felt slighted. It was all in good humor, especially when Follower punched his lights out for doing it to him.

As the quartet of warrior stood, Haigen raised his hand. "Go with courage, Tenno. Bring our brother home safely." They bowed and made their way to the hangar, where their rides were waiting.


	3. Chapter 3

Warframe Effect

Written by Follower38 & Neodammarung the Destroyer

Betaed By Jyggalag

AN: (Follower38) Messed with a few canon details on purpose. Don't bug out too much. Anything you feel like errors, PM them to me and I'll tell you if they were on purpose or thank you.

Please remember to review!

Chapter 3

Liara looked up at the sound of the small metal door sliding open. There was no light in her cell, and she had been left in the dark since the last time she had been fed. Silhouetted in the aperture was a short, stocky figure. From its belt hung a large cleaver with a glowing yellow edge. It had been two days since the strange aliens had boarded her vessel and taken all those aboard captive. She was still shaken from seeing several of her associates die before her eyes. Some killed brutally in showers of gore, others tortured to death for the twisted amusement of these wrinkled abominations. They stank of decay and oil, and the air on their ship was thick with what seemed to be pollution. She had heard some poor soul die of asphyxiation in the cell next to her last night.

She had no idea what they were saying. They spoke an alien language like none she had ever heard, and they didn't seem interested in her pleas for her fellow captives or herself. She couldn't help but think how this had all started when she had found that cryo pod, what seemed like a lifetime ago. It was her fault those people had died, and she had no doubt she would eventually be joining them. The cryopod had changed from being their greatest hope and discovery to what could very well be the end of them all.

The figure in the door came in and put down a tray with some rations taken from their captured ship. That was one good thing. The aliens had chosen to feed them their stored food, rather than force their own cuisine upon them. With any luck, that meant none of the dextro-members of the crew had begun to starve yet. She muttered a thank you as it placed the tray, a habit from living under one of the most powerful, both biotically and politically, matriarchs on Thessia.

All she received was a grunt and a kick in the ribs. She hadn't been able to discern much of the aliens' mindsets, but they had no trouble communicating their complete and utter disdain for their prisoners.

She didn't retaliate, not even using her biotics to generate a barrier to dampen the blow. She had seen another of her fellow asari do so days before on the ship. Seeing what they considered as resistance one of the aliens with the massive cleaver had cut her head clean off, her biotic barrier barely slowing it down. Her clothes were still stained by the dried blood that landed on her. Picking up the tray, she began to slowly eat, idly wondering the status of the other crew members. She was starting to lose hope. Escape? How could she? She could barely use a gun, let alone fight her way to freedom! Her biotics may help, but they wouldn't be her savior.

Her only choices were to either accept the inevitable, or pray to the goddess Athame for a miracle. As she finished the last of the food, she stared at the empty tray, her own lifeless eyes staring back at her. Eyes that were starting to lose hope. The ugly alien retrieved the tray, and exited her cell. All she could do was hope that help was coming...

In the bowels of the mighty Grineer Galleon, there was a squeaking sound as screws unwound themselves from the cover on an air vent and tinkled to the ground. This particular sector was considered storage space. As the last screw fell, there was a ***chink*** as the cover gave way and fell to the deck with a clang. The sounds of the tiles falling went unheeded in the isolated storage bay, dust scattering as the tiles hit the floor.

Out of the vent dropped four Tenno, a miracle if there ever was one. Especially since the vent barely looked big enough to hold one of them.

Follower stretched. He had been the most confined in his bulky Rhino Warframe."The Grineer must be learning. I barely fit through that deathtrap." he grumbled

"Alright Tenno, your squad is tasked with finding and if possible rescue of the Tenno held captive by Captain Vor and investigate the strange life-sign readings aboard this vessel. The others have been tasked to destroy this vessel's reactor and raid anything of potential Orokin origin." The Lotus' voice filled the helms of the Tenno, as it always did on such missions. She directed missives and tactical information on the battlefield to ensure her charges survived whatever their enemies threw at them.

None of the Tenno responded. Any response was unnecessary and anything beyond short-range radios would give away their position. Stealth was to be maintained as long as possible. Despite this particular group holding the record for fastest time to breaking stealth in the clan. Drawing their weapons, they started moving towards the waypoint marked on their HUDs. Leading them to the unknown energy signatures onboard.

Nathan clicked open the comm. "Let's do this fast, don't fall behind. I want to maintain stealth as long as possible." Looking over his shoulder he said, "I'm looking at you two knuckleheads."

Surprisingly, it was directed at Kasumi and Zaieed, rather than Follower and Zaieed. "Oh come on!" Despite no one being unable to see it, the three of them knew she was pouting under that helmet. "How was it my fault last time!"

Snorting, Zaieed answered, " 'Stealth' don't mean pasting a great big web in the middle of a battalion of Grineer that spelled 'Hi'."

"Like you're one to talk Mr. 'Carrying so many explosives he nearly blew a hole in the hull'."

"Alright, quit it you two. We-" Nathan chided, just as the heavy circular door to the room slid open to reveal a Grineer Elite Lancer. The group stood there staring at him. He stared back. Then all hell broke loose. "TENNO, MAK-SHEI!" he roared, and opened fire with his Burston rifle.

"GRAAH!" Nathan felt himself fly sideways as he was thrown, bullets filling the area where he had been a second before, instead slamming into an Iron-skin infused Warframe. "MINE!" Grabbing the arms of the Elite lancer, Follower pulled, metal squeaking under the tension until with an almighty ***POP*** its arms were ripped from their sockets.

The Grineer howled in pain, but this was drowned out by a series of meaty ***THWACK*** as Follower beat him to death with the wet ends of his own dismembered limbs. As the body stopped twitching, the Tenno perked their ears up for the sound of anyone who might've heard the altercation rushing to investigate. They were greeted with a large amount of silence. Except for the loud ***THWAK*** as Nathan slammed a fist against the side of Follower's head. "That hurt." he growled.

"Not as much as it did for him." chuckled Follower darkly.

Nathan snorted. "Come on, let's go." Looking towards the rapidly disappearing armless corpse, he added, "And try to stay quiet."

Elsewhere on the ship, in prisoner holding block.

For Doctor Mordin Solus, the day was looking as grim as it had to Liara. His people had no gods. They had always believed only in themselves. Because of this he had no one to pray to as he listened sadly to the aliens beating another prisoner to death in the cell next to his. The aliens spat curses in their own language while the prisoner, probably a Drell by the sound of the voice, pleaded for mercy.

No mercy was given.

Trying to keep a clear mind, he began to analyze this new species from what little he had seen of them before being thrown inside his current 'abode'. All the while trying to ignore the screams and thuds of flesh pounding on flesh. "Identical body structure, identical births? No no, impossible, numbers too large. Military training obvious, but no explanation to identical structures. Facial patterns show signs of degradation. Viral or genetic disesase? No, no, subjects operating well. Cellular degradation? Yes, but reason? Age? No no, uncharacteristic with known age related symptoms."

There was a crunch and the dell screamed a loud, long, wordless scream of agony. "Excessive bulk along the back and presumed shoulder area. Much large than krogan, illogical considering relatively slim nature of remaining body. Possible cancerous growth? No no, would be removed. Cybernetic implants? Yes yes, would allow compensating for increased mass." He paused, taking a breath, "Increased mass indicative of cybernetic implants, cellular degradation, identical features: one logical answer: clones. Repetitive too. Clones of clones would cause cellular degradation on massive scale. Implants needed to compensate for incomplete or inoperable organs and tissue."

There was a death rattle from the other cell and one of the aliens laughed. Mordin tried not to shudder. He only hoped that he would live long enough to bring this information to the Council. Someone had to stop these creatures. They were clearly a ruthless, expansionist culture, with no qualms about modifying themselves to get what they wanted. It wasn't that he was uncaring of the fate of his fellow prisoners, he simply realized he needed to keep a clear mind in the event an opportunity arose. Whatever it may be and whatever it may lead to. It would surely be better than waiting for the aliens to come to his cell for their 'entertainment'.

Though their technology was, for all appearences, primitive. He had yet to have seen any sort of haptic or holographic interfaces anywhere as they brought him to his cell. Not to mention the smell of sulfur and other trace elements usually found in the aftermath of explosives or chemical propellant weapons of old. But they were still scarily advanced in other fields, their clone army would make the Krogan Rebellions look...well, quite honestly they would be a more welcome sight then these things.

He shivered at the thought of a fleet of these ugly ships approaching the Citadel... However, eventually his thoughts drifted back to the cryopod he had brought aboard two days ago. It was that which had started all this. He tried to analyze the being that had escaped from it, and how its actions related to the situation... "Highly advanced armor, extremely agile, yet no apparent biotics...possibly extremely advanced technology that replicates the effects? Unlikely, but probability of other scenarios equally low." "Perhaps scavengers? Or something more? Old enemies? But impossible. Would indicate a galactic power, perhaps superpower older than asari, perhaps Prothean." He was shaken from his thoughts as he heard the console to the door outside being accessed. Though the aliens had stripped him of obvious weapons and his primary omnitool, they had failed to be thorough. They would get no joy from torturing him.

He slid a small blade out from the interior of his right boot. Hiding it in the small of his palm. Hidden from view, but in his grip. As he took up position by the door, intending to ambush the alien as it entered, the sounds of beeping stopped.

There was chatter from the other side of the door, the unmistakable, ugly language of the aliens. Normally Mordin didn't judge a tongue based on its 'style' but the speech of these aliens was harsh and grating, and yet it carried some words that didn't seem to fit with the rest, like it was stealing from another language. It would have been a novel experience, learning this specie's language he thought offhand, but immediately focused on the task at hand. He readied the blade in his hand.

The first of the massive bulky aliens walked into the room, standing stupidly for a second as it searched for the prisoner. When it turned, facing Mordin, he acted. Diving forward, he aimed for the only real vulnerable location: the creature's face! The alien didn't stand a chance. Digging the short blade into his target, making sure it had gone in its length, he pulled the blade down and out, maximizing damage and regaining his weapon at the same time. It was dead before it hit the floor.

Thick blackish-red blood oozed from the wound in its skull and pooled around his feet, but Mordin was already a blur, lunging past the corpse to confront another of alien guards, whose weak throat-armor was the next advantage he exploited. The black clad alien went down gurgling and Mordin allowed himself a brief smile before huge arms grabbed him around the middle. He cursed himself and thrust the blade back over his shoulder, shattering the goggles worn by the green-armored soldier that had picked him up and was no doubt planned to try and crush his spine.

The alien warrior screamed and dropped him, allowing Mordin to spin around and relieve him of his pistol. The weapon delivered a nasty electric shock, which, though surprising, wasn't enough to make him drop it. STG weapons had similar security measures, so he knew how to deal with it. He ignored it, having developed a considerable level of pain tolerance in his experience with the STG and his heavy-duty gauntlets themselves mitigating the effect considerably. Without even flinching, the moment he had grabbed the weapon, he snapped it up two handed and aimed at its former owner. He fired.

The weapon delivered a double-shot burst to the alien's forehead, though surprised by the incredible recoil of the weapon, he stayed steady and rounds flew straight and true. Bone and brains exploded from its face. Mordin dropped into a defensive stance as the alien's huge corpse dropped to the ground with a ***THUD***

A brief examination of his environment told him he was in a cell-block. Oddly enough, there didn't appear to be any other guards here... He shook his head in disappointment. "Sad, assumed superiority through technology, numbers. Failure would never happen with STG." Poking one of the rapidly disappearing bodies he add, "Their loss." Then a loud klaxon began to sound. He sighed. So much for the element of surprise. However, when no guards came rushing to apprehend the escaped prisoner, he began to become a bit miffed. Surely they knew he had escaped?

Unless...unless something else was happening nearby...

On a subdeck leading to the cellblocks…

"You and your bright ideas!" shouted Zaieed at Nathan as he mowed down some Grineer Sawmen and Butchers.

Nathan tried to come up with a witty reply but was interrupted by a Grineer Scorpion's harpoon impacting his chest. However, since he was up against a wall, the blow didn't knock him over, meaning he was able to grab ahold of the high-tensile cable as it began to retract and yank on it, unbalancing the female machete-wielding warrior, so that she fell flat on her face and was dragged towards Nathan by her own weapon. Once she was in range he curbstomped her skull into mush.

"It's not like it's my fault!" He sprayed his Boltor rifle at a mass of Grineer Lancers and Troopers, tearing their bodies to shreds as the armor-piercing foot long bolts tore through their armor. "Someone had to grab their attention!" He looked pointedly at one of their group.

His ire was interrupted as Follower suddenly vanished, to be replaced by the huge, horned bulk of a Grineer Commander. No doubt he had been planning on killing the four soldiers himself, but it took less than ten seconds for Zaieed to deplete his shields, followed by Kasumi slamming her Glaive into his guts and spinning it, splitting his torso open in a grisly fountain of viscera. Follower rematerialized in front of a Heavy Gunner, who raised her fist to perform a ground pound to unbalance him. Before she could drop down, he slammed his foot into one of her leg-armatures at the knee with a mechanical ***CRUNCH*, **causing her to stumble and shriek in pain. Then he grabbed the barrel of her Gorgon and yanked it forward, loosening her grip, before slamming the weapon's stock back into her face.

In one fluid motion, he pulled the Gorgon back and threw it behind him, pulling his arms back forward and drawing his own Gorgon at the same time. The heavily modified Grineer Gorgon machine gun's internal three barrels spooling up, bringing his weapon to draw, he fired. Armor-piercing incendiary rounds splitting the Heavy's armor and faces in seconds turned it into so much grounded flesh. Ignoring the others surrounding him, he spun around, finger still on the trigger, cutting down any Grineer unfortunate enough to be near him, before empting the remainder of the clip into the Commander who teleported him. Turning the now-disemboweled Commander into so much shredded meat.

As silence fell on the small corridor, Zaieed kicked the horn-helmed Commander nonchalantly. "How did he do that?" Kasumi asked, kneeling down to pry the helm off before the Sanitization implants could activate fully.

"Damn straight," Follower began moving back from where he had been teleported, his armor dotted with blood splatter from the Grineer Heavy. "last time I felt that happen to me was when Jackson did a switch-teleport on my ass."

Nathan snorted as Kasumi gave up trying to pry the helmet off and the Grineer began to melt into goo. "This is not good. We have to tell the Marshal ASAP. If the Grineer have managed to adapt their tech to ours..."

"It's actually disturbing how fast they did it..." Kasumi added.

"Yeah, Grineer don't move fast to change..." Zaieed stared down at the rapidly disappearing corpse.

"Just pray this guy was the one and only prototype." Follower gripped his Gorgon tighter.

"I bet it was Tyl Regor. This has his mad genius fingerprints all over it. We'll have to recommend him as the next target after Vor..." The Warframes and their unique abilities was what gave them their greatest edge over the Grineer, supplementing their combat skills. The Grineer's only advantage had been numbers, if they became on par with Tenno technologically…

The implications of the Grineer adapting Tenno Warframes to their own technology and possibly mass-producing it...This war just got a whole lot scarier.

Much scarier.

Back in the cell blocks, Liara heard a beeping sound at the door to her cell. Were they coming for her next? She tried to huddle up in a corner. If they came to beat her to death, they'd have a hell of a fight. She might've been complacent before, but if they were going to try and kill her she'd take them with her.

Liara heard a beeping sound at the door to her cell. Were they coming for her next? She tried to huddle up in a corner. If they came to beat her to death, they'd have a hell of a fight. She might've been complacent before, but if they were going to try and kill her she'd take as of them as she can with her. You don't get to become 115 as the daughter of two Matriarchs without surviving more than a few assassination attempts. Though she did not look or behave like it, she had more than a few kills under her belt, and the scars to prove it; a testament on her ability to fight. Her muscles tensed as she began to draw upon her biotics, bioelectricity coursing through the Eezo in her body. Amazingly, the heavy metal door opened not to reveal a bulky armored form, but a slim salarian one. "Doctor T'soni, I presume?" it asked.

"Doctor Solus? How did you get out?" she gasped, baffled by the salarian's presence. She hadn't seen him since they had opened the alien cryopod.

Brandishing the blood coated blade, he said, "Aliens arrogant, complacent. Thought themselves to be invincible." He smiled, the blood on his uniform doing little to take away from the cheerful look on his face and the calm aura he was projecting. "Thought wrong."

Liara didn't smile, but she did get up. "Do you have a plan?" Solus nodded hesitantly. "Beginnings of one, yes...need some more time. We do have some. Alien systems by all appearences REMARKABLY primitive compared with Council Standard...took less than three seconds to understand, breach, hack and take over the door controls."

He was interrupted as hydraulics hissed and thumping of feet could be heard from above. Her cell was located on the lowest tier to the three tier cellblock. Throwing himself into the cell, the doctor pulled Liara with him flush against the wall closest to the door. Liara tried to keep her voice to a whisper as thirty massive armored soldiers clanked past on the level above in a great hurry.

"Are they looking for you?"

Mordin smiled. "Strangely enough, no. Appear to be in the midst of a boarding action..."

As the soldiers' footsteps vanished into the distance, Liara pondered his words. Boarding action? She hadn't felt or heard any signs that the ship was under attack...unless perhaps the ship had been infiltrated. That seemed a reasonable idea...but who would attempt such a thing? The why was obvious. These aliens were highly xenophobic and brutal, and therefore couldn't have made many friends out there...but the who still nagged at her.

"Do you think it was possibly the Council?"

Solus shook his head. "No, too soon. Impossible to found already. Also, we were out of contact with council when boarded. Rescuers would have to retrace our steps. Secondary factors also disprove it. Large number of troops being sent to deal with boarders: signifies significant threat in their eyes. Conclusion? Long standing enemy of great skill and power." His speech was interrupted by gunfire, very LOUD gunfire, unlike the mass-effect weapons used by the salarian races.

There was the sound of metal cleaving metal and howls of pain. "I think," Leaving the still open cell and pulling T'soni with him, "That is the boarding party."

Liara's eye's widened at the thought of meeting whatever could cause those monstrosities to howl in pain like they were. Panicking, she started pulling on Mordin's arm. "Then we must get out of here! We cannot fight them!"

Raising an eye-ridge, he turned towards Liara. "Leave? Why?" Seeing the fear on her face, realization came upon him. "Ah, fear that boarders will kill us as well." He shrugged. "Perhaps, perhaps not. Prefer to think salarian pragmatism applies here. 'Those against my enemy are my allies.' "

"Furthermore, have a theory that is bothering me...concerning alien warrior we retrieved..." he whispered. There was a crunch as something slammed heavily against the door to the nearby door the soldiers had passed through. Then it slid open.

A split-second later, the body of one of the massive aliens came flying through the doorway at a diagonal angle to land on the level both Mordin and Liara stood on. Or least half of one, its body ending in tatters of meat and bone from where it had been brutally ripped away. It's skull appeared to have been caved in too. The two looked up to the level above and pressed themselves harder against the wall. "On the other hand..." Mordin started to say.

What stepped through the door was something that looked very like the alien warrior they had brought out of cryo two days ago...but bigger. It had the build of a krogan and the helm featured a prism-like design, with three metal bars coming to an edge like a chopping block at the front. Its hands were covered in what looked like massive spikes which were dripping brains and blood. The point of the prism was also dripping blood and bone, as if it had been used to bash the alien warrior's head open.

The other three Tenno stepped inside behind Follower, their weapons are the ready. "You know," Zaieed stepped forward towards one of the ramps leading down. "If you waited another three seconds, you wouldn't have been surrounded like that you moron." Follower didn't even bother to shoot back a snarky reply. He was examining the area. He HATED prisons, especially after what he had seen during the liberation of Caloris.

Prisoners left to stew in their own filth with no amenities and where any wounds incurred were almost always subject to infection. The conditions had been almost beyond belief... "Let's crack these cells open and see what's causing those weird readings." he grunted.

He drew his Lex and pulled back the slide. Slotting a slug the size of his thumb in the chamber and started moving for one of the cells. The others following suit. Drawing their own sidearms as sometimes these cells held more than scared prisoners and actually dangerous creatures the Grineer kept as 'pets'.

At the first cell on their level, Nathan turned to Kasumi. "Do us a favor and take a look inside. I'd rather not get mauled by a Charger like last time..."

Kasumi shrugged and approached the cell, then pressed one hand to the door, letting her psychic talent, amplified by her Nyx Warframe, reach out. She encountered nothing as her consciousness quested beyond the metal door, so she shrugged again and backed away. "Pretty sure that one's empty, but feel free to open it if you want."

"Just move on to the next one. What's inside is either already dead or unimportant."

Kasumi moved on the next cell, three of them in a row empty and began to move downstairs. She suddenly froze mid-step. "Ho-ho!" she chuckled, "Looks like we arrived a little late!" Then without warning she strode over to the edge of the catwalk on their level and squatted down, then leaned out over the edge to look into the terrified, upturned face of Liara and the somewhat surprised black eyes of Mordin. "Hi there!" she said, "and who might you be?"

The two aliens looked at each other, baffled by her question, and a brief telepathic scan revealed to her that they really had no idea what she was saying.

The armored alien with the curved and elegant antenna-like horn vaulted down to the level he stood on with a significant amount of grace, but no amount of hostility, surprisingly. Mordin's life in the STG had taught him to recognize when any sentient creature was getting ready to attack, and right now, it seemed like the alien was more curious than violent.

He examined the build which was almost identical to an asari. Possible parallel evolution?

He almost stepped forward when he felt a pull on his shoulder. Looking behind, he found the scared visage of Liara staring back at him. "Doctor, what are you doing! They'll kill us."

"Unlikely, doubt they would draw us out simply to kill us when they have done so already." Pointing to raised platform across from them he added, "Already in a killzone," There the one with the bloodied armor was aiming a massive hand cannon at the pair one handed. "if wanted us dead, would be already."

Then he reached out and took the alien's hand with his own.

Kasumi held the amphibian's hand for a moment before sending her mind down his nerves and into his brain. Instantly a flood of information filled her mind, and while it would have been overwhelming for an initiate, Kasumi was very good at sorting through the mental detritus of those she was scanning. It didn't take long to find the language centers of the brain, which was moving remarkably fast compared with most of those she had scanned in the past.

The Doctor on the hand recoiled, his brain flaring in pain at the mental backlash as the information was ripped from his mind, even as gently as Kasumi had done so. Kasumi's grip on the Doctor the only thing that kept him from falling to the floor. Liara, terrified as she was of these aliens that bore a resemblance to the one they found in the cryopod, flared her biotics, and raised a hand to pull the doctor away from the alien obviously causing him pain.

Then the alien held up its hand and spoke in perfect salarian, without a trace of accent. "Peace, I mean you no harm. I needed to access your language before we could communicate."

Despite her disbelief at the alien now being able to speak salarian, she had no intention of letting Mordin stay close to it any longer then he had to. Before she could though, Solus yelled. "Hold!"

"But Doctor,"

"Alright, slight headache but alright." He reassured her. Looking back at Kasumi he asked, "Assume mental backlash resultant from foreign or two presences in a single mind correct? Synaptic activity beyond the norm source of pain?"

Despite the lack of any face, the alien seemed surprised. "Yes! You're a quick learner...Doctor Solus?"

"Yes, have many questions to ask, as seems information transfer seems to be one way. Do you-" He was interrupted as large bang resounded through the room before being followed by a soft plinking noise.

"As interesting as this is...we need to get out of here now."

This was followed the the *Thump* of a heavy, armored corpse collapsing to the floor, that of a Grineer who had tried to sneak up on the group...and failed. The larger alien, with the prism-like helmet, pulled a pack from the large pistol it was holding and replaced it. "Kasumi, let's get these others out of their cells, we can do the meet and greet after we're all onboard the evacuation vessel." He turned towards Nathan. "We going after Vor? Or am I going alone?" Having hostages usually meant immediate deparature from wherever their current location was. The vulnerability of any prisoners meant they needed to leave ASAP lest an errant shot kills them.

"Don't get your undersuit in a twist, I'm coming with you. After we get these fine people to the evac ship. Then we can eviscerate that ugly rotting upright corpse."

Follower shrugged and holstered his pistol, then leapt down to join Kasumi, landing with less grace and a much louder ***CLANK*.**

"Taking point then."

It took them less than twenty minutes going from cell block to cell block to release all the prisoners. In all, less than forty people had been spared from the original crew of the scientific exploration vessel, and they were all in pretty bad shape. Some had been beaten, others were starving or sick because the Grineer did not care what kind of food they served from the captured stores. This meant that some dextros had had to eat levo food because they weren't served anything else. Others were being assisted by others whilst a few had to be carried by those with the last injuries. Some were complaining how they had to leave the dead in such a state, others panicing at the sight of the new aliens and the prospecting of fighting their former captors.

The others had to be forcibly kept calm by either Zaieed or Follower, the pair intimidating those to follow their lead, despite their discomfort at doing so. Well, for Follower. Zaieed just used his Prova at its lowest charge if someone began to show considerable hostility. One of the turians, an irritating bastard by the name of 'Saren', was the subject of a number of coercive shocks.

Finally it was Nathan who got up above the group and spoke, using the speech that Kasumi had downloaded to their brains with her telepathy. "Alright, people. I realize you've been through a lot, and this is a first contact situation for you. I apologize for what the Grineer have done to you. We're going to be sure to make them pay while you make your getaway. Follow Zaieed here." he said, pointing at the combat engineer, "He will escort you to the airlock where we have a stealth evac ship positioned. It's a bit small since we didn't think we'd be dealing with so many people, but there's more than enough room for you to survive until we get back to base. "

One of them, an asari, yelled. "Why should we listen to you! For all we know you're just taking us to be executed!"

"Sure, we'll waste all our time taking you somewhere else to kill you in an elaborate manner instead of using the really big gun on my back." Follower deadpanned. The asari, who had been somewhat emboldened by her release, quailed at the sight of the massive Tenno warrior.

"Ok, this way, single file! Don't pick up guns unless you want a nasty shock, and if we get attacked, for Hayden's sake, stay in cover!" Zaieed said, waving for the gathered civilizans to follow. "You lot!" He pointed towards a group of turians who had been, and failing, to try and covertly sneak away from the group. "You look like you know how to fight. So you're in charge of making sure this buggers keep their heads down once the shooting starts. Get it?" He got a few nods. Channeling his inner R Lee Eremy(Need to create a drill sergeant name for the tenno here to replace this one), he yelled: "I SAID DO YOU GET ME!"

Involuntarily snapping to attention they shouted back, "We get you sir!"

As the former captives filed out, Nathan turned to Follower. "Alright, that's taken care of. " At this point the Lotus spoke into the helmets of the four, her voice calm as ever. "Well done, Tenno. Your Clan Marshal is tracking Vor through the ship. He has moved to one of the storage bays where the distress signal is originating. I believe he intends to try and escape with his captive before the warriors of Clan Gallente can sabotage the hangar bays as a prelude to destabilizing the reactor. Haigen is moving quickly, but it appears our intelligence was correct: Vor can teleport and he is outdistancing him. You must hold Vor at bay until he can arrive to reinforce you."

At the news, each of the Tenno except for Zaieed smiled, some more feral than others. Follower cracked his knuckles, "I'm going to enjoy ripping that smug bastard's face clean off his head."

Kasumi let out a giggle that sent shudders down the spines of the last few captives to leave the cell block. "Not before I slice him up and see what's inside."

"Well I always did want to see if he had a spine..." Nathan chuckled darkly.

Each of them grabbed their weapons from their holsters and ran. Each with only one thing on their minds: killing Vor and claiming their trophies from his corpse.

Meanwhile, with the captives following Zaieed, the turians he had delegated to the task of watching the others were hardpressed in trying to keep them calm as gunfire raged around them. One of them was watching the Vauban-clad Tenno closely. Saren was watching him intently. 'Incredible. Such power in a single individual. If the Council or even the Hierarchy got ahold of such a weapon...'

Tempra's Bitch!" He ducked as the plasma charred corpse of a Grineer sawman flew towards him, slamming into the low wall he ducked behind. He flexed his muscles, charging his biotics but doing little moret than to create a personal barrier for him. He still dared not try anymore lest he overtax himself. His body was injured and would have more than a few permanent scars, a mandible sheared off from the explosion that had knocked him unconscious in the first place. He couldn't fight, and he loathed to follow this, this, thing, to a supposed evacuation craft, which he seriously doubted. 'And in Spirit's Plague did they speak a salarian language?' No one learned a language that fast, and even he, a spectre, relied more often than not on his internal Universal Translator Implants to the job for him, rather than` trying to learn the multitude of spoken languages that existed along with Galactic Basic.

This...thing however, spoke it as if it had been born and raised to, without a hint of accent that would've caused a mild translator hiccup. It was very, VERY disturbing.

There was a roar and then a sound of *chunk-chunk-chunk* and without warning, three razor sharp discs flew past his head. "DOWN!" shouted the alien as a new kind of enemy soldier emerged, one with smaller shoulderpads, but a very large, boxy gun. It's helmet was cone-shaped and it's eyes glowed yellow like those of its compatriots, but it's grin was that of a maniac.

A few of the civilians didn't hear or were too terrified to listen. Either way it didn't matter as one of the discs rebounded off a wall and decapitaed three of them before it stopped, imbedding itself in the back of a fourth victim. "BY THE OROKIN! WHEN I SAY GET DOWN I MEAN GET DOWN YOU WANKERS!" Zaieed screamed at them before tossing a Tesla coil at a Grineer, sticking to his face and electrocuting him and six others around him.

He rushed to the side of the injured civilian and heaved him over his shoulder without apparent effort, before turning back and gunning down another of the massive soldiers. The modified Corpus Dera Series plasma rifle spewing energized death at its enemies. Traveling through and through with no efforts until it burned itself out against Grineer flesh. "KEEP MOVING!" he shouted over the rattle of gunfire.

As loathe as he was to follow those orders, Saren realized he had no choice. The thing could easily overpower him but was protecting them against those other monstroties. Rising up, he yelled at the top of his lungs! "Alright you scrubs! You heard him! Get ready to move on my command!"

The remaining security personal recongized Saren and his Spectre status, responding with a scattered chorus of "Yes sir!".

Zaieed stared across the massive chamber they now occupied. It was one of the gun battery chambers, which housed a pair of titanic rail-cannons, designed for broadside exchanges. He and his charges were stuck, with Grineer pouring in to reinforce their clone brethren from every exit. It was as though someone had kicked an anthill...one full of very ugly, gun-toting ants.

Before giving any further orders, Saren took another look at the deathtrap they would have to cross. The room they were in was apparently part of a massive gun battery, the cannon looking more like a planetary defense weapon then a ship-to-ship battery. A catwalk to their left went to an upper level and in front of them, was a clear and open pathway with little to no cover. Even for him this was suicide, and for the civies it was guaranteed death. Charging up his biotics, he threw a weak throw at the armor clad alien escorting them, gettting his attention but little else. When he looked at Saren, he yelled, "JUST WHERE IN KERO'S PIT DO YOU EXPECT US TO RUN!?"

It pointed at the catwalk at the war end of the room, beyond the twin cannons. Saren expressed his disbelief by shouting; "YOU'RE INSANE!". The alien shrugged and produced a large trio of grenades from some where on its person and activated them, then threw them. They landed in the midst of the horde trying to storm their way up the steps to where the civilians were cowering, and instantly, huge arcs of electricity crackled off them. Shouts turned to screams, which turned into gurgles as the huge armored behemoths were deep-fried in their own suits. This was complimented by a fourth grenade, which landed in a clump of soldiers trying to regroup. Rings of energy erupted up from underneath them and they were catapulted screaming into the air. Those that tried to pass the rings were also flung skywards, many off the network of catwalks that spanned the room to land with bone-breaking force amidst the pipes beneath.

Again, pointing at the other end of the hall, at a door identical to the one behind them, he simply said. "Run." With that, he turned the corner and began charging up the ramp, running towards those on the platforms above that had managed to avoid the carnage below. Cutting down other hapless victims awaiting his energized death.

Saren and those around him could only watch in disbelief as their escort, in their eyes, abandon them in what they saw as apparent bloodlust. Snarling, he looked towards their given path, cleared of enemies except for their corpses. "Well...you heard it. What are you standing around for? MOVE!" With that, the terrified mob became a panicking mob sprinting across the room and over smoking corpses.

Saren paused, standing just before the second ramp, watching the civies traveling into the little alcove on the other side, making sure no one was left behind except those who were dead. A trio of the armored aliens had come through the hallway they had just vacated but were quickly torn apart as each was dealt almost a dozen biotic warps each from the remaining biotics capable in the group, Saren himself tossing an overcharged one, feeling drained from the effort. Glancing at the platform above them, he watched the alien warrior killing, no slaughtering the other aliens above, blue bolts of energy blazing into and killing them.

Then came the thumping sound of heavy feet, one that seemed suspiciously familiar to the Turian Spectre. He turned and saw, emerging from a round metal door to his left, a red-armored warrior. The color drained from his face. It was carrying a massive boxy cannon, and when it saw him it snarled and turned to face him. There was a beeping as lights flashed on the weapon's stock, but before anything else could happing, the soldier stumbled as blue bolts of energy punched into its shields. The huge juggernaut roared in rage and tried to recharge its cannon, but it appeared to be jammed. That was when the rain of blue fire cut out. Saren saw his alien rescuer struggling to reload his gun.

"C'mon you piece of shit." He slammed on the jammed battery/material cartridge, fused into the rifle from the heat. "Lousy Corpus-made junk." A thump grabbed his attention as the Napalm Grineer trooper gave a feral grin at the site.

"Tenno, you're mine now." It stepped closer, "Vor will reward me handsomely for your head."

"Shit!" Slotting the rifle on his back, he made to draw his sidearm when a blue ball slammed into the Napalm trooper. Sending him stumbling. Both of them turned to look where it came from and their eyes landed on Saren. The Grineer snarled, "Gnat! You die!" Raising his cannon to kill the Turian Spectre, least, that was his intent. Saren on the other hand had no plans on dying to today.

Ignoring everything his training and experience taught him, forcibly overriding the safeties of his biotic implants, he brought everything he had to bear. Biotic implants all had a built in safety level, designed to shut down to prevent a user from using their biotics if there was the risk of overtaxing the implants or serious self-harm from overexertion. Though they could be overridden by a skilled biotic, their abilities amplified incredibly so, depending on the grade of the implant and the user themselves. However, the backlash from doing so could be fatal. With the safeties overridden, Saren concentrated all his biotic power in his palm, creating the densest and most powerful Warp he had ever made in his life.

Throwing it at the Grineer Napalm the moment he knew it had formed. The sphere of unstable dark energy hurtling towards the Napalm trooper, who in his arrogance, allowed it to hit him.

He would not live to regret it. The concentrated dark energy slammed into him. Tearing him apart at the molecular level. His nerve endings catching on fire as they were peeled off and torn apart molecule by molecule. Starting from his torso and spreading everywhere. His body fell, even as the dark energy continued its work. Still alive, but unmoving.

Until nothing, not even ash remained. But Saren saw none of this. Falling unconscious the moment the Warp had left his hand, hitting the floor with a ***THUD***.

Zaieed took a moment to allow himself a small smile, then tossed the Turian over his shoulder and made for the exit. "Not half bad." he chuckled to the unconscious alien.

**Please Read and Review**


	4. Chapter 4

Warframe Effect

Chapter 4

Written by Follower38 and Neodammarung the Destroyer

Betaed by Jyggalag

A/N: sorry it took so long, but Ch5 is done and being betaed and chapter 6 is in progress

**Nullum bellum suscipi a civitate optima, nisi aut pro fide, aut pro salute***

- Cicero

The trio of Tenno tracked Vor across the ship. By now he was no longer in the storage bay, but moving his precious cargo to the closest of the massive hangars. He was already in it by the time they got there, and the cryopod was being prepped for loading. His hand moved for the button to load the cryopod until it shattered. His thumb millimeters from it. A large spike imbedded in its place instead.

He turned to see the three Tenno leap down from where they had been hiding, Follower tossing aside the body of one of the guards, whose head he had twisted clean off, armor and all. "You're not getting off this ship. Alive or in one piece."

"Ah, ever the arrogant warrior," the Grineer captain chuckled, strangely unconcerned by the fact that he was staring down the kind of firepower that reduces whole armies to disorganized chaos. He plucked a small sphere from a belt around his sagging, half-robotic waist."

"The Twin Queens have placed a bounty on the heads of all you Tenno, but you cannot imagine what they will pay for a PRIME." he laughed.

The three Tenno stiffened. Their grips on their weapons and their fists tightened. A Prime was one who deserved the utmost respect. Someone who had gained the respect of the Orokin themselves. For Vor to flaunt having a Prime... As far as the Tenno were concerned, it was just one more reason to parade his gutted corpse through the system. "It always comes down to greed, doesn't it." Nathan snarled.

"Well, that and curiosity admittedly." the aging captain laughed, "I have spent a lifetime gathering a prodigious collection of Orokin technology. My brothers and sisters, they think we should stand on our own. A foolish, outdated philosophy. Besides, such wonders do not belong in the hands of the impure." He flicked his wrist and the ball he was holding extended spikes,

"Care to examine my collection up close?" then he hurled the device at the Tenno.

"Enough talk! He dies now!"

"No you idiot! Get back!" Nathan reached out to try and stop him but it was futile.

Ignoring the potential threat of the spiked sphere, Follower charged forward. Intent of ripping out Vor's still beating heart from his body. In his rage, the spike nailed him right in the head, planting itself, and before he could react, sending a near-lethal voltage through him. Stopping him dead in his tracks and dropping him to the floor. Stunned, but still alive.

"No wonder the Empire fell!" laughed the Grineer captain. There was a flash and suddenly Nathan was hurtling towards Vor in a Slash Dash, but before his Dark Sword and Dagger could pierce the aging cyborg's flesh, he vanished in a puff of smoke and golden energy. He reappeared on top of the shuttle he had been planning to board, laughing, the Orokin Key on his right breast glowing.

"So that's how he could teleport, and his damn gremlins." Follower had managed to get up, this time his Iron skin engaged, his body studded with crystalline spikes. "How did he figure out how to use it?"

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Let's ask his brain after we pull it from his skull." he growled. Vor wagged a mechanical finger. "Ah-ah-ah, Tenno. Such untempered aggression will be the death of you. Don't you agree, brothers?" There was a new flash and to supplement the guards the three had already killed, new Elite Lancers and Troopers materialized all around the Tenno.

The three Tenno all gather in the center, allowing themselves to be surrounded. "Want to do what we did back aboard that Galleon three weeks back?" Follower asked, allowing his shields to tank the damage.

"Sure." Nathan said, and then turned to Kasumi.

Kasumi let out a mass confusion wave, the Grineer soldiers stumbling as their visions blurred and their nightmares came to life in front of their eyes. Before they could react, Follower unleashed a Rhino stomp, throwing all the Grineer around them into the air, suspended. Nathan drew his blade, before jamming his Dark Sword into the floor, his Frame unleashing dozens of super-compressed flechette-like particles that elongated in mid-flight to become yard-long blades that punched through armor like papier-mâché, their attached micro-thrusters propelling their targets across the room to turn them into grisly wall decorations.

Vor frowned at the display.

"Impressive...but can you handle these?" he growled, and pulled more small spheres from the pockets around his waist. With a flick of his wrists he hurled them towards the Tenno. When they landed, arcs of golden energy erupted from them, blasting the trio with a huge amount of energy. The Tenno executed a hurried retreat, trying to get out of range of the deadly energy. Meanwhile, Vor had surrounded himself with a semi-opaque golden shield. " You know what I hate the most about you, Tenno? It's that you actually think you can win! Grineer dominance is inevitable!" he laughed.

"Damn the Sentients!" Nathan using his Warframe to leap away from the Tesla Spheres. "How the hell did he get ahold of Vauban gear! We didn't send any against him!"

"That's not just Vauban gear, it's been modified with orokin tech!" Kasumi said, diving behind the nearest support pillar she could find.

"Doesn't matter! We have to take him down now!" Follower activated Iron Skin again, the earlier layer having been peeled away by the Tesla spheres. "No more screwing again!" He drew his Gorgon and spooled up the internal barrels. He shut off his external speakers. "Flank him! I'll keep his attention!" The Gorgon finally got up to speed and began peppering Vor in a flurry of bullets.

Vor took the shots without a care, instead pulling another sphere. "Didn't learn your lesson the first time Tenno?" Deploying the spikes he threw the sphere at the RHINO warframe. "That RHINO will look good on my wall!" Then he hurled the sphere at Follower, more golden energy erupting from it. This time though, rather than remain a stationary target, the Rhino-clad warrior executed a Rhino Charge sideways, moving out of the grenade's range.

The Grineer captain growled in irritation.

Before he could draw his Seer Gauss pistol, he was wracked with pain as his very mind was attacked. Kasumi had managed to get behind him and in his arrogance; he had forgotten her presence, lowering his mental defenses. He fell to his knees.

Seeing an opportunity, Nathan leapt onto the ship and drew his Dark Swords, intent on cutting the key out of Vor. Upon his blades meeting the golden shield, they slid off, leaving behing a flurry of sparks. "Damn it! We need take that shield down!"

The shield flickered for a second as Vor grasped his head with both hands. As the Grineer veteran tried to stand, it strengthened itself. Follower realizing the link, shouted, "Burn his brain Kassie!"

The Nyx-clad warrior increased her mental pressure and tried to batter down the Captain's primitive neural defenses. Amazingly, the shield flickered and went out. Before she could do more though, he slipped from her control. "YOU TENNO BITCH!" he roared, rising to his feet, then flashing towards her to punch her in the gut, the air crackling as he teleported again. Kasumi flew across the room, but she was a warrior, not some fragile maiden. She landed in a crouch twenty feet away.

That didn't stop Vor from doing it again, this time with a running start. The momentum from the run had it connected would have transferred into his punch, and slammed her into one of the ships.

However, this time, she was ready, and he appeared in front of her just in time to receive a scorpion kick to the face, which stunned him. Before executed a Nathan Slash Dash from behind him, opening up a wound in his spine before he teleported again. He fell to his knees again, back on top of the shuttle, his left arm reaching back over his shoulder while he panted in pain like a beaten dog. With the other, he drew a long, elegant blade, a Cronus, from its resting place. "You...will pay dearly for that." he growled.

"Surrender Vor, you're beaten and you know it." Nathan kept his Dark Swords drawn as Vor was surronded by Follower with his fists raised and Kasumi activating her Glaive.

The Grineer captain snorted. "Surrender? To mere Tenno? You are a fool!"

He waved his hand again, and more Grineer lancers appeared. "Kill them!" Vor screamed, then teleported towards Nathan, blade already swinging.

That was when the Lancers froze solid.

On a platform above, a FROST Prime stood with his hand raised. "I am disappointed in you all. This is a mission, not a playground. And you have yet to take him down." The Marshal flicked his hand and the Lancers exploded into chunks of frozen meat.

Nathan, who had just blocked, then parried another swing of Vor's Cronus, grunted out, "Not for lack of trying, sir." He threw himself backwards to avoid another swipe, then rolled sideways as Vor stabbed down at him.

Haigen leapt down from the catwalk above and landed, in a crouch, unlimbering his Reaper Prime from his back. "Enough of this. Stop toying with him and KILL HIM!" he shouted at his subordinates.

"Finally!" Follower charged up to Vor, letting the blade slide across his iron-skin reinforced frame before slamming a Furax-mounted fist into the aging grineer's torso. Vor's mouth opening as the air was forced out his lungs.

Nathan, who had gotten behind the decrepit cyborg, leapt onto his back and drove both Dark blades into his shoulders, forcing him to his knees, hands clawing at the air behind him. Then Kasumi's glaive came slicing through the space between Follower and Vor, and as it passed, clipped the tubes hanging from his chest. Black fluid and lubricant spewed from the cut pipes, and Vor desperately tried to stop them pouring out his life's blood...or what was left of it.

Knowing that Vor was all but defeated, the three tenno stepped away. Opening a clear path for their Clan Marshall. His Reaper Prime still in his grasp, Haigen marched up to Vor, the black lubricant coating both the floor and his hands, a sliver beginning to leak from his mouth.

Now on his knees, the Grineer leader still showed no fear as the Clan Marshal approached, spinning his scythe. "Captain Vor," Haigen said, in a voice that would freeze the hearts of tyrants,"you have defiled the Law. The Law judges you and finds you guilty..." He pulled back his scythe. "And we are its champions." Then he swung. Vor parted at the waist, his upper torso flying backwards to leave a trail of black gore across the deck, coming to rest with a wet smack on the ground.

Stepping over to what remained of Vor's torso, Haigen idly noticed how Vor's eyes still tracked him and looked upon him with loathing. The rapidly dying Vor tried to hiss out a few last insults but all he recived was gurlging for his efforts. Ignoring this, Haigen focused on the Orokin Key imbedded in Vor's breastplate. Placing his hand upon it, the Orokin technology recoginzed the fact a Prime was touching it, releasing the clamps that tethered it to Vor. Haigen effortlessly pulled out the Key, studying it. As he walked away, he was still focused on key. Pausing, he looked at the other Tenno, still standing away from the corpse. With a nod he said, "He's yours."

The trio nodded and began to scavenge what was left of the Captain's body. Follower claimed his pistol, which he examined with hesitant admiration, a gruesome, yet simeltaneously beautiful fusion of Orokin and Grineer technology. He took a moment to disable it's security measures before looking over to his companions, who had pried the modified Vauban grenades, shield generator and what they could locate of the system that had allowed him to use the key to teleport. They also took the Nervos grenades he had on his person, weapons used by Grineer to capture lone Tenno, little more than spiked balls that delivered a debilitating and sustained electrical shock to those they attached to. The Tenno had very few to study...now they would have more.

This isn't just reverse engineered. It's been cut out of a Warframe!" He took a moment to kick Vor in the head. "Rot in the abyss you patchwork monster."

"Same here." Follower tossed the 'procured' pistol to Nathan, who snatched it out of the air. "I recongize some of that. Has some parts from guns like the Marshalls." As Nathan examined the pistol, Follower added. "I think he's got some Warframe tech in there too."

Nathan grunted and looked down at the filmed-over eyes of the Grineer Captain one last time. "Well at least now it's back in the hands of it's rightful owners." Then he turned to the shuttle Vor had been preparing to use, or more specifically, the cryopod he had been trying to load onboard. "Let's wake our esteemed comrade and get off this junk heap."

Follower and Kasumi gave sounds of affirmation. Still picking over the corpse for anything else valuable or useful. Nathan shook his head at Kasumi, she had the tendency to loot anything and everything that she could carry and wasn't bolted down. As he moved toward the cryopod, he took a look inside. He manipulated the controls on the pod's side, activating the unfreezing sequence. He was surprised to see that it was a Prime Warframe inside, an Excalibur no less. Excalibur Primes were among the rarer Primes, and the few he had seen in his life all belonged to the Founders Council on Divine Hope. However, there was one exception to that...

The other Tenno nearly jumped as Nathan let out a laugh, an unexpected noise from the usually calm tenno. They walked over to the pod, wondering what could cause such a reaction. "Well I'll be damned..."

"Is that who I think it is?" Kasumi asked, staring in awe at the warrior beneath the pod's canopy.

Follower knelt by the pod, looking over the Exclaibur Prime for any other markings. Spotting what he was searching for, he too let out a great laugh. "By the Orokin, it is him!"

The inside of the pod fogged up, then cleared as it split open , released a blast of super-cooled air. "Atton Ikatel...welcome back to the land of the living." Nathan said.

As the containment pod slid up and open, Follower chuckled.

"Two-thousand years and we're still pulling your ass out of the fire, Atton. I thought you were supposed to be teaching us, not the other way around."

The Excalibur Prime-clad Tenno woke slowly at first, the cold of the pod having slowed his biorhythms, but when he was fully awake, he tore himself free of the wires and cables attached to him, then stepped down out, stumbling a little as he did.

"Is that you, Follower? If it is you have a lot to answer for." he growled.

"It's me, old friend. Much has changed since you set out on your expedition. I will explain later, once we are out of this shit-pile of a ship."

"We cannot leave yet. The ones that brought me here…I don't know if these foul creatures let them live, but if they did, they are doubtless in the brig of this vessel. We must rescue them. It is my actions that got them into this situation…"

"Not to worry. Zaieed's got that well in hand." Nathan stated. It was at this point that Atton spotted Haigen. He practically vaulted out of the pod's hold to stand at attention. "Clan Marshal. I am honored." he said. Haigen nodded his head. "No, the honor is still mine, old friend." It was well known that Atton had trained much of Clan Alecto himself, including the Clan Marshal.

Stepping forward, Haigen offered his arm, Atton took it, grasping his fellow Prime's arm at the forearm. An old warrior's greeting they used together years before. "It has been far too long Haigen. I-" He paused, unsure of what to say. "It's just good to see again."

"Let's get you off this tub." Nathan said.

**Warframe Effect**

"You are certain this is the last transmission?" Tevos asked, her face a mask of defeat. On either side of her, the two other councilors stood with expressions of equal ill humor.

Across from her, the communications officer, a young asari, stood nervously. "Yes ma'am. We've done all we can to confirm it is from the expedition and everything we have confirms it. There's been no evidence of any tampering with the transmission either."

"It's been three days since the last transmission. I think we can assume that something has gone wrong." the Asari's Salarian comrade, a short, wiry example of his species with blue markings, stated. He looked worried, as if expecting to be yelled at for some perceived failure.

His Turian counterpart nodded. "Agreed. But what worries me more than the lack of any communications is what they reported in their last message before dropping of the radar." His mandibles were clasped firmly to his face, a sign of the stress he currently felt. "Unknown xeno-technology? And from what tests they did, carbon-dating of the pod puts it at an age before the protheans!"

"Ridiculous. There is no evidence anywhere to suggest that the Protheans were predated by any other species." Tevos said dismissively, before turning back to the two communications officers.

"Thank you. You may go. Inform us of any further developments."

With that the officers gave a quick salute before departing from the Councilors' private meeting room. "Goddess, a race that predates the Protheans?" Shaking her head Tevos roses and headed towards one of the cabinets in the room. Taking out a glass and bottle before pouring herself a drink. "What utter nonsense. If there was such a race; why then, haven't we seen them?"

"Don't be so quick to judge." Valern, the Turian councilor chided. "We still don't know why the protheans vanished fifty millennia ago. And there have been recent evidence that some species did exist before the protheans. Albeit weak evidence but it is there."

"I am less worried about extinct species than I am about the failure of this mission. The economic slump is becoming more dire every day, and with no new species or even signs of life, I am beginning to wonder if overturning the ruling on the ban of activation of mass relays was really worth it."

"Perhaps it still is." The Salarian councilor, Icthyas rose himself, pacing the room. "While the reports of a precursor society older then the protheans may not be of importance in and of itself. We still may achieve something from this." And his companions inquiring looks, he explained.

"The strange element they found. I've had the STG conduct a more thorough study of the data sent back to us. What they discovered," he shuddered.

"Well? Out with it!"

"Based on the data we received, the strange element was an isotope of Element Zero. An isotope!" By this point the Councilor had lost all appearances of decency in his excitement.

"Furthermore, what few virtual experiments were conducted showed it had an exponentially greater ability to generate dark energy than normal eezo itself! Given that we have been unable to find any similar materials in the history of this Council, our scientists have concluded that it is purely artificial, a product of sentient minds. This is convinces me more than any archeological discovery that we may have stumbled on something phenomenal. If a species could create such a material, imagine what else they might be capable of!"

"So," her voice not betraying the fear and unease she felt at the implications, "what do you propose?" Finishing her drink, she set down the glass. "If this race, even if they are extinct, are as powerful as you suggest. Is it a wise course of action to pursue them?" At her words, the salarain councilor recognized what she was implying. Gambling her hopes she pressed on. "Would it be wise to, as it were, poke the sleeping cregorian in its eye?"

"I suggest we send a second, smaller investigative force, primarily to assure the safety of the main expedition, while at the same time looking for further signs of this unknown species, though not to make contact. I am sure no one wants another Rachni War." the Salarian said.

Tevos was taken aback at the political skill the statement contained. She would have easily dismissed the idea had Councilor Icthyas suggested contact, but careful examination was not something she could turn her back on, for fear of the questions it might raise. It was one reason she always had trouble dealing with the Salarian Councilors. With their short life spans, they came and went very quickly, and no two were quite the same. It made them hard to get a handle on. Councilor Valern's response was much more predictable. Being a Turian, he narrowed his eyes, clenched his mandibles and growled: "And what if this race should prove not to be extinct? How would we deal with such a threat? At present, the Council's fleet has been largely without an enemy to face. We haven't seen a major conflict in decades. We could be at a disadvantage should they prove to be hostile."

Tevos snarled in her soul at the Turian's automatic, unthinking gravitation towards the idea that everything was a threat. She had seen it for decades, ever since they were brought onto the Council, and it had only grown worse when Valern had been instated. If she didn't know better she'd think the proud former Admiral was suffering from acute paranoia...or compensating for something.

Surprisingly, Icthyas choose to voice support for her, making her suspicions about his motives deepen. "I agree. It will also bring over more support from conservatives who opposed the idea of this expedition. It will show we are being mindful of past lessons our experience has brought us."

Valern sighed, knowing he was outvoted. "Very well then." He rose to pour himself a drink. Knowing the headaches this decision will cause him later. "However, I demand there be one condition. We send several SpecTRe agents along with them. Three at the very least. And provide them with contingencies orders should there really be a new species and if they do prove to be hostile." Grabbing a bottle and glass, he poured himself a liberal amount. "They are also to ascertain the fate of the SpecTRe sent with the first expedition. I also propose we discuss the Fraixen Treaty."

Tevos hesitated. She was all for sending Spectres on the voyage, but if this turned out to have been a false alarm, saying yes to that proposal would put the Turians in a position of even greater power. The Asari had largely remained on top by subtle means, influencing the cultures of those they encountered...but there was only so much you could do before influence ran out and a sharp stick was necessary...

But she also realized, that sometimes, in the great game that was politics, one needed to capitulate, in order to get what they desired. If she refused this, and word of both her actions and of the Eezo isotope, which by all rights should not be possible, got out, her political career would be over. Not to mention the political flak the asari republics and indeed possible the asari people themselves would receive for it.

"Very well then. We will discuss the Treaty and the size of the second expedition later. First, we need to choose which of our agents will join them. Any suggestions?"

**Warframe Effect**

Tali woke up with softness underneath her body. That couldn't be right...the last memory she had was of...suddenly it came rushing back. The ugly aliens, the strange armored warriors, the rush to make it to the space ship, weak from hunger and fear after days spent in a tiny cell...

She opened her eyes, what greeted her was an architectural poem of silver and white. The room she was in was round, with a bed on one side and some basic furniture. It looked far more comfy than the cell she had been in, and the graceful curves and strong-looking arches made her think of an Asari ship. Unlike Asari architecture however, this had elegant curves that were, at the same time, suggestive of strength rather than fragility, as if the structure of this place would bend rather than break, and weather any storm.

Pulling herself up, she started up her omnitool to check its and her own status. The ugly aliens hadn't realized she still had hers as it was partially attached to her suit, only to find it missing. Frantic, she started patting down her body; searching for any tears and any gear she still might have. She found none of either. While she was grateful for the former, the latter disturbed her. Had she been freed from one prison only to put into another? But that did not make sense, the room itself was too nice for any prisoner.

In fact, the suit looked suspiciously clean! Yet here she was clearly not suffering from any diseases... Looking around the room, she found nothing familiar. What she surmised was a storage locker placed against the far wall. What looked to be a door but far different from any she had ever seen on a ship. If anything they were more like what she had seen on the Citadel once.

She reached out to touch it, causing it to slide open with such speed and silence that she nearly jumped back. She poked her head outside. This situation was just getting stranger and stranger. Was she a guest? Had she been rescued? Outside in the hall beyond, the walls were lined with doors identical to the one she had just walked through. No one was present.

"H-hello?" she stuttered.

No one responded, there wasn't even the hum of any engines or some sort of air circulation system operating. A fact that surprised her greatly as a hall this big would need one and, barring the ones on the Citadel, there was always a slight, if barely, audible hum as the air was circulated inside a ship. Deciding to take her chances, she decided to enter the hall. "Better trying to find a way out of this place then staying here like a trapped bosh'tet." She tuned the audio-receptors in her helmet up to max. This would, hopefully, give her advance warning if someone was approaching.

She had no idea how to move stealthily in here though. Everything was lit in such a way that no shadows were deep enough to conceal her, and while there didn't appear to be anything that looked like a camera, she had no doubt she was being watched. She walked down the hall, which had thirty-five doors on each side of its length, with one on the right end relative to where her room was.

No one disturbed her. None of the doors opened. She couldn't detect the faintest whisper of sound... When she reached the door at the far end, she reached out to touch it, hoping it would be as easy as it the first had been. Amazingly it was.

The door opened with no resistance. As though she belonged.

In fact this whole place seemed...calming...friendly almost. She felt more relaxed than she had any right to be. Filled with a strange confidence, she walked out into the...enormous room beyond. The chamber was easily the size of a major cargo bay, filled with walkways. It had bizarre root-organisms growing from the walls, routed around almost like titanic organic power conduits. A dim blue gloe emerged from parts of them. However, as interesting as this was, it didn't grab Tali's attention as quickly as the strange black pads on various parts of the floor, which were emitting little rings of white light. This was because kneeling in some of these were...they all shared a resemblance with Atton, the Tenno warrior that had started this sorry chapter of her pilgrimage. However, not all of them wore suits like his. There were considerable variations. At first she had closed her eyes, expecting to hear shouts of alarm...until after twenty seconds of silence, she opened them again. Tentatively, she walked over to one of the kneeling...warriors...Tenno, they had to be Tenno. This one wore a suit almost like Atton's, but without the golden markings and with a helmet that sported neck ridges and a much taller horn-structure. He didn't so much as turn his head, even when she waved a three fingered hand in front of his face. Were they asleep? Were they...in a virtual reality system? There didn't appear to be anything connecting them to the pads. They just knelt there...

Suddenly her audio receptors picked up the sound of a voice, one which sounded a bit like Atton's. Another Tenno...human?

As the voice got closer, seeing no other options, she hid behind one of the pillars scattered around the chamber. Praying to the ancestors the tenno coming didn't see her.

"-is the last time. I've had it up to here with your shenanigans! If the Empire were still standing I'd be bringing you before the Founder's Council to face formal reprimands!"

"Apologies sir. We didn't think the Grineer would be that much trouble." A rather rough voice said. Daring to peak over the ledge, she eyed a total of five Tenno below her. Each of them wearing powerful looking armor. She almost mistook one for a krogan because of its size before realizing it was probably another Tenno...probably. It was monstrously huge even so, and despite how it was apparently being cowed by the first of the Tenno she had seen come in, had no doubts it could probably handle a Krogan with ease. The one that was yelling at it was wearing armor much like Atton had worn, or at least, it was more like Atton's in coloration than the others. It had gold etchings and a large golden...cage around its helmet, which had a vertical purple slit at the front, possibly a visual sensor. It was colored far more darkly than Atton's frame though, and it appeared to have strips of cloth around its waist. It was also bulkier. Almost as bulky as the Krogan-stand in.

The others were much stranger. One, was like the other she had seen kneeling below that was similar to Atton's in shape and form. Next to him stood a fourth Tenno which appeared to have cloth strips hanging from the back of its armor, until she saw the piston-like extrusions on the back of its legs and realized that despite its soft appearance, the suit was no different from the pseudo organic armor of his compatriots. Not for the first time, she marveled at the elegance of these suits. They looked like they had been grown rather than made, with curves no machine she had heard of could make. The fifth was, interesting to say the least. First, it was a she, if the body was any indication. Not to mention her helmet was intricately made. Much more so than anything she had seen in her life.

"I'm not talking about the Grineer! I'm talking about your recent behavior!" growled the golden, cage-headed Tenno, "You've broken radio silence, and you've spoken while in the presence of your enemies. You've acted like children in combat with no tactical forethought whatsoever. It's been going on for two months. Tell me, did those centuries in cryostasis damage your brains!?"

The four Tenno snapped to attention and gave the Marshall a solid salute. "SIR NO SIR!"

"Well, we'd best be sure..." The Marshall's tone sent shudders down the four Tenno's backs. It meant a hard punishment in their future. They still remembered the last time this had happened to them. "You will participate in obstacle course runs and runs across M-Prime until I say otherwise. And you will continue to do so until I can rely on you to act with professionalism again. IF we should ever be assigned with a mission of such gravity again, I don't want to have to rely on luck to counteract your bad behavior. Is that understood?"

"SIR YES SIR!"

You're part of the inner circle, so I can't demote you, but by Hayden you'll start acting like a professional again if I have to beat it into you!"

With that, the gold-covered Tenno stormed off and exited the room through one of the nearby doors.

Tali was shocked, she didn't know whether to laugh or try and sneak off...

As the doors sealed behind the marshall, the four tenno not wearing primes visibly relaxed. The massive warrior visibly shuddered. "Damn...it's been a long time since I've seen the marshall that mad."

"To be fair he does have a point. We need to stop acting like these are the Old Days." That was the Tenno that looked like Atton. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, looking ashamed even through his armor.

"Still, did he have to be so mean?" The obvious female whined. "Why can't we have a little fun while we're on mission?" The little tassels shaking as she crossed her arms.

"Kassie, I think fun is kind of a low priority. The whole Origin System has gone to hell in a handbasket since the Empire fell." The shoulders of the female seemed to sag.

"Now you're getting me depressed." she moaned.

"Kassie..." came the response in a tone that was one of warning.

"I know, I know...it's just..." there was a pause.

"Oh no..." The largest of the group placed a hand against its pointed helm. "Nathan, go cheer you're girlfriend up. Take her to the training pit if you have to. Me, I'm getting out of this armor."

The one that looked like Atton put his arm around the female's shoulders. "Yeah, you do that. I'll see you in the Mess Hall. Maybe we can find someone interesting to talk to from the slaves we rescued..." he grumbled. The Krogan-esque Tenno lumbered off, along with the one that looked like it had been wearing cloth and which hadn't said anything.

"Kassie, talk to me." the remaining male Tenno said.

"It's just...I remember in the old days. You guys know how it was when the Empire was there. They kept the peace. They were honest and strong. Everybody loved us and there was order in the universe." the female said. She sounded almost tearful. "And now we go out there and all I feel is the hate and fear and despair. Everything's gone wrong...and I just can't stand it! The universe is dripping with injustice and it makes me so ANGRY..."

She slammed a fist against a nearby wall. "What's worse is that we don't even know why! Or even how or when we ended up in those pods! How much did we forget!?" The one called Kassie stumbled, as the energy left her, only to be caught by the one who looked like Atton, Nathan if she recalled correctly. "Just how much more could we have forgotten?"

Nathan wrapped his arms around Kassie, holding her to him."Hey, dont think like that. Just be grateful that we did remember. Especially about each other."

"I guess you're right."

"I know I am. And am very grateful. Since I won't have to go through the painful process of winning you over again."

Kassie gave him a playful push. "Oh you..." she snorted.

"C'mon, let's go to our quarters." Nathan let her go, before wrapping an arm around her waist.

It was at this point that the nearest door opened and the unmistakable figure of Atton strolled in. "You twooo..."he began and trailed off, seeing them hugging."Yes, sir?" Nathan said, without a hint of embarrassment.

Atton, to his credit, did not appear to be phased for very long.

"Shouldn't you be in the infirmary?" Kassie asked.

"Healer Chakwas gave me a clean bill of health." Atton said firmly. "and I'm tired, not wounded."

"So is there anything you'd like us to do, sir?" Nathan asked.

"Aside from you two not giving everyone an aneurysm or a nosebleed?" Atton crossed his arms. "Yes, as a matter of fact. We're going to have an...orientation for our unfortunate guests. We'll also be examining the slaves you freed for potential recruits. And lastly, one of them wants to speak with the Clan Marshal and if possible, the Lotus about an idea he's had.

"Which one?"

"He says his family name is Anderson."

"Really?" said Nathan, appearing to perk up.

"Anderson? As in Order of the Sword Anderson?" Kasumi asked.

"Indeed. Genetic tests have confirmed it. He wishes to speak about a number of things, in particular the formation of a resistance movement, beyond our own efforts."

"With his bloodline, if he inherited anything from his forefathers, the clans are going to want to hear this."

"He also has a number of supporters, the most vocal of which is someone named Shepard..."

"Well, looks like we've got someone to talk to before we go run ourselves half to death on the Marshal's orders." Kasumi chuckled.

Nathan poked Kasumi in the side hard, making her jump. "That's not funny. You make it look easy. But how I still don't understand how Follower of all people can keep pace with you!"

"Yeah, well..." Kasumi shrugged and began to walk towards one of the nearby doors. "Oh, and don't forget your pet, sir." she said, sticking a thumb over her shoulder in...Tali's direction.

She nearly jumped out of her skin and suit right there as the Tenno so casually told Atton of where she was.

Atton turned towards her as she peeked out. "Tali? Is that you?" he asked. Nathan was already on his way out, following Kassie.

Not knowing what else to do, she came out from behind the pillar. Awkwardly waving her hand, "Hi Atton. What's going on?"

He strode towards her. "I'm glad to see you survived. You're the first of your people to come out of their quarters..."

"Why?" she asked tentatively.

"Most are afraid. They've kept themselves to their rooms so as not to, I assume, alert anyone. A good deal are also still recovering. Grineer hospitality is not something I've yet to hear off. Many have yet to awake. As for the rest, only they know." As he was saying this, he had approached and climbed the stairs to the platform, before coming face to face with Tali.

He held out his hand. Tali was hesitant to take it, but then again, what did she have to lose?

Taking it, she watched as he simply passed his hand over where he had harshly grabbed her before. "How are you feeling? Any injuries? Illnesses? Hunger?"

"No..." she said hesitantly, "What happens now?"

"In a little while we will be bringing your people to a place where we can explain the situation and answer your questions."

"Where?" Tali asked, filled with curiosity.

"The heart of the Tenno Order. Divine Hope." Atton said.

**Warframe Effect**

*A war is never undertaken by the ideal state, except in defense of its honor or its safety.


	5. Chapter 5

Warframe Effect

Chapter 5

Written by Follower38 and Neodammarung the Destroyer

Betaed by Jyggalag

**Warframe Effect**

Flavus Vakarian was a loyal citizen of the Citadel. He believed in order, keeping the peace and held it as a fact that his partner, Xenari Severus, could not keep herself out of trouble. As she pulled herself into the hovercar, he looked her up and down, noticing the bloodstains staining her armor that she was trying to keep hidden.

"I take it Fist didn't bite?" he asked.

The female turian Spectre shrugged. "Not really." She pulled a rag a compartment and began wiping away the bloodstains. "Squealed a lot, but not much worth hearing." Working on the joints of her armor, she worked to get the rag in the gaps. "What about you? What was so important that you had to pick me up personally?"

Flavus sighed. He wouldn't deny he was attracted to her, but it was so hard to put up with her rather poor impulse control. "We've been called by the Council. Not just us, but several others. Each of them a seasoned SpecTRe. Some of them were called in like you were."

She raised an eye-ridge. "Just how many?" Usually a single SpecTre was more than enough for any mission. Two maybe, if it was a small army. But more? It was unprecedented.

"I bet Bau thirty credits it had to do with that mission we sent out beyond the sealed relay. He refused to take me."

"Flavus, how many?"

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"All of them...or at least all that could pull themselves away."

Xenari swore under her breath. Never before since the SpecTre division was first created, had a large number of the Council Agents been called before. Not even when the entire Galactic Community was under siege during the Rachini Wars and the Krogan Rebellions had the Council called for so many SpecTRe agents.

"Spirits, what did those idiots stir up? I said it was a bad idea to go opening new Relays...not that anyone listens to me..." she grumbled. "Wait, wasn't one of our own already on that expedition? That kid, what was his name? Soran?"

"Saren, Nihilus's protégé..." Flavus clicked his mandibles in disapproval. He hadn't liked Saren when Nihilus had introduced him. He reeked of arrogance instilled by Heirarchy propaganda. "I told them that they shouldn't have sent him. He's still too young to be a SpecTRe. I didn't care that he's Nihilus's student!" The aircar lurched forward as he slammed the acclerator for a second before regaining control. "Sorry."

"No, no, I understand fully." Xenari growled, "I never liked him either. Bastard was a misogynist, and an arrogant prick." Flavus winced. That was another feature that didn't always work to her advantage: she was incredibly blunt. "Just when is this meeting supposed to start?"

"As soon as we arrive. I've been checking in with the others and apparently we're the last ones to arrive."

Xenari grinned. "Let's not keep them waiting then..."

**Warframe Effect**

Garrus didn't know what to expect after waking to the strangely soothing architecture of his new...hosts. He wasn't sure whether he should consider himself a prisoner or a guest. The faceless armored aliens were happy to provide him with food and basic comforts.

When they summoned him out however, with no explanation, he immediately began to wonder if they were going to interrogate him.

Currently he was standing in a rather opulent room. More so then the rest of the station he had already seen so far. There was a large, elegant arch dominating one side of the chamber, framing the void of stars beyond. His suspicions were still boiling, but somewhat alleviated by the fact that almost all the other survivors were here as well.

Garrus looked around the room, examining those present carefully. There were the survivors, yes...but standing in a small group were some of the armored aliens, with one or two more arriving every five minutes or so. They didn't appear hostile, as usual, but they exuded an air of competence and confidence that he'd only felt from hardened warriors of the Hierarchy.

Looking around, he recognized some of those with him. Three of the aliens he had seen before, or least ones wearing similar armor to the ones that had rescued him. Only one appeared to be those that had saved him. Among his fellow survivors he found both Doctors T'soni and Solus. The VIPs he had been assigned to protect at all costs. There was also the pilot Desolas, whom Garrus thought was a real jerk, and milling in the crowd, trying to be lost in the group, he spotted that SpecTRe from earlier, what was his name...Saren. Garrus didn't like him either, but his father had raised him to respect rank, even if he didn't respect the person holding the title.

Though, he noticed the usually unflappable SpecTRe was breathing hard, and appeared to be exhausted. Only then did he see that Desolas was standing close enough to Saren in case he needed help.

Before he could try and carry that line of thought further, there was a tapping sound from the massive arch. Garrus looked around to see one of the faceless aliens carrying a very large scythe upside down, tapping its blade against the floor to gather the attention of those present.

Then it spoke. "Greetings, fellow sapients. My name is Haigen Montoya. If you could all step back from the arch, I will take you to the heart of our Order, Divine Hope, where I will bring you before our leaders whom I'm sure will be able to answer almost any questions you may have."

Garrus squinted at the warrior. The alien was different from the others, with golden parts on his black armor and a helmet that looked like a cage...

The golden warrior was joined by a white and gold soldier with different armor that nevertheless was similar enough to the scythe-wielding alien to mark him as more important that the others. He was escorting...a quarian? Garrus didn't remember any quarians being listed on the manifest of the ship. Where has she come from?

The black and gold, cage-headed warrior turned to face a large green and gold protrusion extruding from the floor in front of the arch. Garrus squinted as the alien produced something small and gold and pressed it into the thing, which made him think of a control panel of sorts.

He tried to press his way gently through the crowd hoping to get a closer look at what the alien was doing when the stars visible through the arch...rippled. There was no other way to describe it. Space seemed to warp and an image faded into view over the stars, an image of a room similar to the one he was in. He heard gasps from some of the civilians. He was baffled. The image couldn't be real...could it?

He jumped when the scythe wielding warrior spoke again. "Please, do not be alarmed. The gateway will not harm you as you walk through it." The warrior turned back to them. "Please pass through the arch in an orderly fashion. All will be revealed on the far side."

Turning away from them again, the warrior slotted the scythe to its back before walking through the rippling image. Garrus, and indeed the others, expected the warrior to just walk into a wall, or that it would prove itself to be a simple mirror when the alien walked through, the ripples growing in force as they stepped through before appearing on the other side.

An excited voice broke the silence. "Well! Come on then!" Turning towards the source, another of the aliens, this one resembling very closely to the asari, was standing in an alcove above none had noticed earlier. Doing a flip off the railing, landed gracefully in front of the arc. "Don't dawdle. You heard the Marshall ! Off you go!"

Urged on by the rather cheerful voice, his fellow survivors began trudging slowly towards the arch. He noticed that it was being led by Doctor Solus and Doctor T'soni, though the latter was hesitant whilst the former seemed almost, cheerful? "Guess even in the face of death, salarian's find interest in anything." He muttered under his breath. As the crowd thinned, the ripples in the image growing larger as the crowd traveled through, he stayed behind, intent on no one being left behind. Accidentally or otherwise.

The room was almost emptied in short time with the exception of the other aliens still watching them. The armored Gold one and the others in the other alcoves. Along with himself, the Arterius brothers and the remainder of the Security team. He moved towards the brothers.

"Let's do as they say. They've given us no reason to distrust them so far..."

The members of the security team nodded and moved towards the arch, though not having passed through it yet. "Be that as it may. There is still caution to be warranted." Desolas said. "If they cannot get their way, they will threaten and pressure until they do." He snarled, remembering the incident aboard the expedition vessel earlier.

"No. He's right." Desolas looked over in shock at his brother. "They could have left us for dead. We were of no importance to them other than a mere curiosity and yet they did. They even healed my injuries as best they can." Referring to his now missing arm, pointing at the bare stump left at his shoulder. "For now we do as they say, least until they prove hostile and try to contact the Council if we can."

With this admonition, the remaining...guests made their way to the portal. There was some grumbling, but that was the same as saying the sky was blue. When it was Garrus's turn he hesitated at where the barrier apparently was. He stretched out one hand and at the point of contact, a ripple appeared in the air, as if he had pushed his arm into some kind of transparent syrup.

There was a faint tugging feeling before he was suddenly pushed through by the female alien who had spoken earlier. "Don't stand there too long. You wouldn't want your arm to go spatially unstable on you, hmmm?"

Tumbling through, he felt as though his body had been tossed into gelatin before being yanked out and flash-dried. It was a rather unpleasant feeling, though not incredibly so.

He stumbled coming out the other side, slightly disoriented and unbalanced after being pushed through. Before he fell on his face he was caught by a pair of hands. "Easy there. Everyone trips first time through."

Garrus struggled back to his feet, not wanting to appear weak in front of these strange beings.

Shaking his head to get rid of the disorientation, he looked towards the one who caught him. "Thanks I-" The words caught in his throat at the sight of the alien holding him.

This one had a strange, crested head, which made it look like it was wearing an aerial glider for a hat. Its feet were like slippers he had once seen on an asari. A large elegant shoulder pad dominated its upper torso.

It was also clearly female.

He hastily shook of her hand and tried to stand straighter, but it was too late. If it weren't for the full face mask, he was sure he'd be seeing a smile on the alien's face.

"Well then? A macho one huh? You going to flex your muscles next?"

He looked away and focused on the two scientists, Dr. Solus and Dr. T'soni, then hurried towards them, with an embarrassed, backwards glance. Of course, it wasn't until Garrus reached them that he found that the two scientists were in the company of the quarian from earlier. Her alien escort was no longer with her, but she was speaking in hushed tones with Dr. T'soni, while Dr. Solus listened intently.

By the time Garrus was close enough to hear them, they were clearly already in full discussion.

"And you say this...'Rubedium' is their name for the exotic eezo isotope we found?" Dr. T'soni was asking.

The quarian began shaking her hand quickly through the air. "Rubedo, and yes, that's what he said, at least." she said, "He said that they make it by seeding planets with eezo already in them. Over time the process, or whatever it is they do, not only converts all the eezo, but actually expands the amounts they can acquire."

"Incredible. To think that eezo can even have an isotope, albeit artificial, that it would be so much more powerful." T'soni muttered. Despite not having a clear grasp on eezo and drive technologies, she knew enough that from what she was told, any Citadel technologies that used this 'Rubedo' instead of eezo, would likely gain a massive increase in power.

"And what of eezo itself? What do they use it for?" Solus inquired. "Curious if they are willing to change an entire planet's eezo deposits, if they have a use for eezo itself."

"He didn't say. As far as I know they only use Rubedo. Also apparently they're in short supply of it. Atton said he was part of a survey mission to check if the Rubedo we found had reach maximum potential. Apparently something went wrong and he had to go into cryo stasis."

"The pod was very, very old..." Liara said, tapping a finger against her chin, "Your friend may be several centuries out of date on his current events..."

"Yeah..." Tali's voice dropped to a whisper. "Apparently something big happened while he was gone. The Empire he told me about? Something happened to it. It's a resistance movement now he says."

"And he says no one knows. They've been calling it the Long Night but no one can remember what happened to their empire or even when they went into cryo-sleep. Some of them..." She trailed off.

"And? What happened?" Liara was curious. The archeologist in her making her press forward with her questions. Not realizing how uncomfortable Tali was.

"Doctor, I think you should let her rest." Garrus said, "Besides, I think we're about to get some answers." While the salarian scientist and the quarian looked unsurprised, Garrus's approach had not been detected by Doctor T'soni, meaning she nearly leapt out of her skin at the sound of his voice.

"Goddess, don't do that!" she snapped.

"Sorry, ma'am"

Not one noticed the biotic aura she suppressed in her palm, having brought it up the moment Garrus surprised her.

At this point, the portal, or whatever it was, dissipated, the last of the survivors having passed through.

The room they had come from was replaced by a new starfield.

This starry sky, however, was not like the previous one.

In fact, once side of it was dominated by an orange glow.

"Incredible." Solus stepped forward, stretching a hand out towards it. "Incredible proximity to a sun. Yet no noticeable thermal energy increase or gravitational pull." His hand stopped just shy of the portal. "Would require incredible power to resist gravitational pull. And shielding to block heat. These Orokin probably, no, they are, on a entire tier above even the Protheans."

"Of course...that begs the question...what happened to them?" Liara asked in an uneasy voice.

**Warframe Effect**

After the portal dissipated, the forty survivors were half-led, half-'escorted' through numerous corridors of silver and dark metal, laced with those strange tree-like growths and little pools and fountains. Tali was struck by how peaceful the place looked, much like the 'Dojo' they had just been in. The only difference that said that this place was home to possibly the most powerful fighting force in the galaxy was the alternate view provided by the few windows they passed and the fact that there were far more Tenno whose Warframes resembled Atton's in style, with gold trim and etching. Many also bore a strange badge on their right shoulder, which seemed to be a variation on a six-pointed starburst design. They ranged in color from bronze, to silver to the gleam of gold and platinum luster.

She wondered what the badges meant, and made a mental note to ask Atton the next time she got him alone. She didn't have long to focus on that particular idea, however, before the group entered a vast and vaulted chamber with eight raised podiums that reminded her a great deal of the Council Assembly Chamber back on the Citadel, except done up in a fashion that would make the most lavish decorator weep in impotence.

The podiums were also lower than the high seats on the Citadel.

She wondered if that was a sign of humility. Whenever she had seen the Assembly Hall during some broadcast on the Citadel, the three Head Councilors were standing there, looming over the supplicant like some triumvirate of elder gods leering down at a petty mortal who had the gall to ask them a favor.

Here however, the podiums were less than a foot off the ground, meaning those who stood at them didn't need to look down so far.

Those that stood at them were different from the Tenno she had seen. They were wearing white and gold uniforms, not Warframes, but when she looked at their hands, she saw they must be wearing some kind of under suit beneath the clothing. In fact, it didn't look so much like an under suit as a second skin, nearly biomechanical in nature. Just how deep was a Tenno's connection to their Warframe? She refocused on the uniforms, which were somewhat baggy around the sleeves, but on the whole struck her as being very military, with buttons all down the front and gold edging here and there to offset the white.

It appeared that their arrival had interrupted something, because one of the eight Tenno was in the middle of saying something while looking at some inscrutable diagram for something that looked like a Skilidea Bird from Tuchunka, except mechanical, with a big black disc instead of a head. She couldn't understand what they were saying, but it was clear they were concerned. The hologram dissipated and the conversation tapered off as the survivors filed into the cavern of a room.

Suddenly the Tenno stopped speaking before inexplicable tilting their head in Tali's direction.

The image suddenly disappeared and the eight Tenno brought their attention to the newcomers in their midst.

There was a pause in which the Tenno present placed their hands on their podiums which glowed briefly. Then one of them spoke, in perfect Citadel Common Speech.

"Greetings, explorers. We apologize for the wrongs you have suffered at the hands of our enemies. We brought you here so that we might learn about each other more easily. Our wayward brother, Atton Ikatel whom tells us you rescued him from the void of space, has told us much, but we wished to speak with you in person all the same."

No one answered. Either in awe or fear of the aliens, no Tenno, before them.

"Is there no one among you that can or will speak? Either for yourselves or for all?"

Finally, after an uncomfortable silence, Saren chose to stride forward and be the voice of the Council. He knew it would have been his job anyway, if they had made first contact. Of course, when he'd been giving the job, he'd expected to be addressing some primitives or pre-spaceflight race upon contact, not this clearly highly advanced and potentially very dangerous race. It was disturbing how much they looked like asari.

He'd be damned, no matter how powerful they were, threaten what had already existed for thousands of years. "I am Saren Arterius, a Council SpecTRe. Who am I addressing?"

"A SpecTRe?" One of the eight leaned forward, "A ghost?" She, for if her body was any sign, looked closely at the turian.

"No. An agent. Tell me, what organization do you come from?"

"We are the Founders Council. We eight are chosen by our fellow Tenno to lead them, with the guidance of the Lotus."

"Is Tenno the name of your species?"

The female gave a wry smile. : "In a way, it is."

"Each of us was once human, but when we were chosen by the Orokin, we ceased to be human. Instead we became something more: Tenno. It is both the name of our order and our identity as a race." stated another of the eight.

"And what is the purpose of your order?" Saren asked. This back and forth was becoming rapidly annoying.

"Much the same as yours, SpecTRe. Prior to the Long Night, we served as the shield of the Orokin Empire, ensuring its stability, and prosperity, while our counterparts in the Order of the Sword ensured its survival and security. The Empire was composed of many peoples from many worlds, and it was our task to protect them all, to ensure that they could live in peace, without fear of excessive chaos from within or without. Now we are the resistance against the brutal and oppressive powers that have arisen in the wake of the Empire's collapse."

"What powers are these?" Saren asked. One of the eight ran his hand over his podium and instantly a hologram materialized in the midst of the survivors, who shrank back with gasps of shock and fear. The hologram was of an all too familiar image, one of the alien soldiers that had boarded the research vessel.

Saren examined the hologram. Now that it wasn't trying to kill him, he could see the thing more clearly, in all its ugly detail. The face in the thing's domed helmet bore little resemblance to the asari-like aliens, with yellow eyes, skin covered in liver-spots, wrinkled with age. Some of its teeth were clearly rotten or artificial. Its legs were fixed with metal braces to keep it from falling over and its expression was on of grim hatred.

"What are they? They look like you, only, mutated? Is your species in some sort of civil war?"

"No. We are not. As for the thing you see before you, it is called a Lancer. A clone soldier in the Grineer Empire ruled by the Twin Queens. Once, they were a great enemy inside the Orokin Empire, spawned from a coalition of the extremist xenophobic movements. And yes, we were once, of the same species. But no longer." The hologram shifted to a new image, this one familiar to Desolas as one of the aliens, Grineer, he had seen slaughtered on ship by the Tenno, Atton. "They loathe that which is not Grineer, and seek to destroy anything and all not of themselves. For this purpose, they bred an army; a clone army. Primitive in its weaponry, inexhaustible in numbers. Yet what gives them their strength, is also their weakness: constant cloning, generation upon generation, clones of clones, has resulted in genetic degradation. They have contravened their own doctrines, using cybernetics and drug regimens to remain fit and capable. As a race, the Grineer suffer from innumerable genetic defects and psychoses that are as mass produced as their soldiers. Only their doctrine of hate and so-called purity keeps them going in the face of what is clearly coming to be inevitable dissolution. Their single-mindedness is the very thing that will be their end and yet their strength."

Saren stared into the yellowed eyes of the hologram. In them he saw something ugly, very ugly, a hatred that could very well consume the galaxy. Despite this unnerving notion, however, he still kept his calm. "This is just one of the powers. You said there were others?" he asked.

The garbed Tenno nodded but this time is was another of the eight that spoke. The hologram winked out and a new one appeared, this one of a human in a thick orange suit with an overlarge rectangular helmet dominated by a horizontal cyan slit.

"Indeed, the one you see before you is part of the Corpus Collective. An entity formed from what were the great industries and corporations within the Empire. Their only goal is wealth. Their greed is what drives them. Unlike the Grineer, they worship Technology, the remnants left behind by the Orokin. They will do whatever it takes to increase their wealth and power. Combining what is essentially arcane arts, what many would call magic, and technology, to achieve dominance." A solemn silence fell. "We have lost many brothers and sisters to their machinations and greed."

This time, Liara was the one who stepped forward. "What do you mean? What have they done to your brothers and sisters?"

The eight looked towards each other, silently communicating with each other. One by one, they each nodded. "The Corpus, though they are willing to work with anyone willing to pay for their service, seek out us Tenno with a single-mindedness that rivals the Grineer. Our Warframes are among the pinnacle of Orokin technology, and they lust for them. But they cannot take them from the awakened, so they seek out our brothers and sisters still in cryosleep. Ripping them from their pods, peeling away their Warframes, all in an effort to try and fail in replicating our gifts." A dark aura emanated from every Tenno in the room. "We have seen the remnants of their efforts. And only desperate times stay our hand from destroying the Collective."

Though he heard the whole statement, Saren paid special attention to that first line. They'd work for anyone, eh? That was certainly worth knowing...

Now one of the eight waved a hand at the air overhead and the hologram rearranged itself again, now showing a planetary system, with a yellow dwarf at its heart and many worlds, each surrounded by dots, all of which were connected by an intricate network of lines.

"This is the Origin System, the heart of the old Empire and the birthplace of both humanity and the Orokin. This is where we are now, and this is where we shall stay, until the Corpus finish rebuilding the Outer Terminus, at which point we intend to take it from them."

The female human, who had been speaking paused with a grim smile on her face, then continued.

"Once it is ours once more, we shall reconnect with and reclaim the old worlds of the Core Systems and the Isolated Colonies, the Imperial domain and its old protectorates." The map shrank, became a point in a larger graph of many worlds, all bound together by that first dot. Saren tried to count them, but gave up at fifty-two.

"Wait," Saren turned back towards the Eight. "You said before you were a resistance movement, trying to take back your old territory. But something doesn't make sense to me. What has been keeping your enemies in check? The strength they possess, their numbers, even with all your skill and power, they can simply overwhelm you with numbers, but they don't." Taking a step forward, he looked right into the eyes of each member of the Eight. "Why?"

Again the Eight looked towards the others, again 'speaking' with each other in silence. This time, the nods were mixed with negatives. But five voted yes.

"It is for two reasons, currently despite whatever fickle alliances the Collective may have, we, the Grineer, and the Collective are all engaged in war with the other. Furthering our own goals, and crippling theirs. The Collective and Grineer focus their efforts of the other however, granting us some measure of peace. And it has been so long since we were last seen, we are considered little more than legends. Myths. Stories of ancient warriors long since dead and buried."

"But that's the not the only reason, is it?"

The Tenno shook his head. "No. There is a fourth. And this is, by far, the greatest of our enemies." The hologram changed again. This time showing a quadruped. But, it was, different. Obviously horribly mutated, what looked like metal plates and tumors all over its body. And it was, familiar.

Mordin was the first to react. Recoiling in shock. "What is, that, that, abomination?!"

"What, what do you see?" Saren asked, looking at the hologram again, searching for anything he missed. Until his eyes rested upon the 'top' of what was the creature's face. And saw a pair of eyes. Eyes that burned with hate, even in death. He recoiled at the revelation.

"So, you recognize what the creature once was?" A coy voice, another one of the Eight, asked.

"This is the greatest of our enemies. We know little of the events that caused the collapse of the Empire, but we know that in the final days, there must've been an outbreak of the Technocyte Plague. The virus is the greatest and arguably the most terrible of the Old Weapons, instruments of vast destructive power used in the war with the Sentients millennia ago. Said weapons were all decommissioned and stored in the Vault, a space station located in the enormous electromagnetic flux tube between Io and Jupiter, there to remain for all time...or so we thought.

Now, six centuries after the collapse, the virus has overrun Jupiter, with its great shipyards and fertile moons, and threatens constantly to spread throughout the Origin System. It is capable of transforming any kind of matter to suit its purposes, and it is fully capable of being transmitted across species. It is 100% contagious...and 100% terminal. No known cure exists."

This time, instead of disappearing, two more holograms appeared, albeit smaller and the first had shrunk. One appeared like a Corpus, except with tumors and growth covering most of its body. What looked like an arm was grasping what would've been the head, except the creature had two arms, one like the Corpus with tumors, the other a spindly thing, as though it had been for lack of a better word grown. Whilst the third, it was, strange. A gangly looking thing, its right arm was just a flat mass of flesh, whilst its left was like a primitive amphibans, and tentacles dominated what would have been its face. "We call them, the Infested. An enemy so terrible and powerful, even the Grineer have traded with us to forge weapons capable to beating back these monsters. Should you ever encounter these creatures, should any hint of them be seen, run. You cannot fight them, not as you are. But if you must, fire will be your only weapon, your only hope of cleansing the Infested."

The three images dematerialized and the image of the Origin System returned, with the largest of its gas giants, the one they had named 'Jupiter', highlighted in red. The lines connecting it to its various orbital bodies were red as well. "We have worked hard to map the progress of the disease, but with so little at our disposal, and almost all of it dedicated to trying to restore order to the system, we are somewhat overmatched. Atton tells us you come from a coalition of races that have seen fit to establish a unified government beyond the territory of the old empire. He also tells us that you are suffering from an...economic crisis of considerable scale."

"Prior to this meeting we convened with the Lotus and she agrees that we could be of some help to one another."

The quills on Saren's head began to tingle. "Who is this...Lotus? Is she a member of your leadership? If so why is she not present?"

"I am always where my Tenno need me to be." A new hologram appeared, this time in the center of the room. A female human garbed in a beautiful robe with a large intricately designed head piece that hid her features from view barring her lips. "On the battlefield, or on the home front."

"I have no physical body. It is denied to me by the code of my station as spiritual guide and advisor of the Tenno."

"You're a...a VI?" Liara asked.

"I am a sentient sapient digital being. What your people would call an Artificial Intelligence." A deathly silence fell upon the crowd, but was disregarded by the Tenno as awe.

"I was born to the Orokin to serve as the guide and protector of the Tenno. To serve on the battlefield, and direct them to where they were needed.

There was a gasp of shock and fear at the words of the Lotus, and many of the survivors drew away from the elegant hologram in terror. Saren turned to the eight councilors, enraged.

"Synthetic intelligence if forbidden by Council Law! Do you have any idea what kind of threat this being pos-" he began before a strange noise was heard. Suddenly Saren was silent. His mouth kept moving but no sound came out. But it didn't matter as he was tilting his head backwards as he suddenly found himself with no less dozen a half dozen Tenno, each with a lethal blade aimed at his throat. Clacks were heard around the room as weapons were drawn, primed and aimed at the SpecTRe agent. Garrus saw the Tenno with the curved, crested helmet holding up one hand, which was glowing. "Do not presume to give orders to the Founder's Council, alien." she said coldly.

One of the eight glared at her. "Tenno Kayla! Stay your hand! This is not helping!" he shouted. The crest-headed Tenno grudgingly lowered her hand and suddenly sound returned to Saren, who was standing stock still from the weapons aimed toward him. "The rest of you! Lower your weapons, Now!" A first nothing happened, but then one of the blades aimed at Saren's neck, one end of a long bladed staff, drew away. Then another, soon followed by the rest. Other weapons were slowly holstered one by one. As the weapons were drawn away, he began clawing at his throat. Not because he couldn't breathe, but because he couldn't figure out what was preventing him from speaking.

"I suggest you hold your tongue, lest it be forcibly removed."

"Synthetics have been part of the Empire for over ten-thousand years. You have no right to bring your base, uninformed prejudices here."

Saren ground his mandibles together, but held his tongue. Unfortunately, his younger brother was not so wise.

"You people are insane! What's to stop it from killing us all with a press of a button?!"

Saren moved to silence him but was pushed out of the way by Desolas. "AIs are not people! They will be the end of us all! You need to kill it now! Before it-AAAGGGHHH!" He fell to his knees, or rather what was left of them as they were cut below them, blood spurting from the stumps even as he and Saren fruitless tried to stem the blood flow.

The crowd screamed as the sight of the blood and the dismembered limbs. Only the sight of the Tenno around them stopped outright panic from setting in.

From the shadows, another Tenno appeared, this one carrying a now turian-bloodstained sword, the blade little more than a long spike. This Tenno had a smooth, domed helm with three protrusions on its helm, the largest of which stretched back like a tail. Large grey spines also adorned his helm, looking venomous despite their obviously decorative nature. His musculature was outlined in fine detail by the chest plate of his Warframe. The overall color scheme was one of brown and tan, with beige and blue dots sprinkled in. "Be grateful I was the first to act. I chose to simply remove your legs. The others would have taken your head."

Saren didn't bother to focus. A red mist had descended over his eyes. Someone had hurt his brother...and he was going to make him pay.

He hurled a bolt of biotic energy in blind rage...only to gape in shock when his target vanished in a puff of grey and blue smoke.

The meeting descended into chaos from there.

**Warframe Effect**

*Please Review*


	6. Chapter 6

Warframe Effect

A/N:

Follower38: Hey guys! Here's chapter 6 for you. Decided to give you people a treat and give two chapters back-to-back. Though don't expect this too much. Takes me and my cowriter some time to write. These two were just finished relatively close to each other.

As for Chapter 5, seems a lot of you are both very blood-thirsty and have mistaken Saren for losing his legs when it was Desolas his brother.

Also, someone brought up the point that they thought Saren was being unfairly rude. Well it's not totally his fault. He's exhausted, he was a prisoner to aliens, lost a limb(I think, Calculus makes you forget things), and is trying to make sure everyone gets home and there is a home to return to. If you have issues with this chapter, please mention it in the review also.

Now, Enjoy!

Also, teaser of Chapter7 to those who find the reference. And no, the starwars one does not count.

Chapter 6

Flavus looked out at the assembled SpecTRes, all grouped together in the Council Assembly Hall. While in truth, most actual meetings of the Council were held in a small, secure office deep within the tower at the center of the Citadel, the Assembly Hall was the only place big enough to fit all the participants of this particular meeting. It was generally reserved for when the Council wanted to make a public address or had to put some new, upstart race in its place. The true politics were always conducted behind closed doors. It was a practice that didn't sit well with Flavus, though he understood its necessity...

What was worrying was the fact that, aside from his fellow agents, the Hall was completely and totally bare of any others. A room that, at any one time, would have an average of a hundred people just ambling around, either to speak to the Council, or see the daily politics were gone. Even the usually ever-present Keepers were noticeably absent.

He felt someone grasp his shoulder.

He turned to see Nihilus, one of his oldest friends and fellow SpecTRe standing beside him.

"Flavus, it's good to see you, though I wish we could have met under happier circumstances." he said.

"Have they told you what's going on?" Flavus asked. Technically, no SpecTRe outranked another, but Nihilus had been at this job even longer than he had, and he was generally the first to hear about anything.

"No. I'm in the dark like everyone else. I have not seen the Council since the call." Nihlius looked towards the podium where the High Councilors usually made their presence known. He leaned against the railing. "All my requests to meet them denied. I've called in every favor I had to try and learn why we were called. They haven't found anything." Pushing himself off it, he turned to Flavus. "I'm willing to bet it has something to do with that new Relay we opened a few months back. I only hope my protégé has not caused some kind of trouble...or worse."

Flavus looked at Nihilus' face, which was painted with suspicion and worry. He had personally begged the Council not to send Saren on the mission beyond what people were already calling 'the Verge Relay', the thing having remained unopened since its discovery shortly after the Krogan Rebellions.

They had not listened, and had instead packed his novice off to explore a region of space that had been avoided for nearly a thousand years.

"We might have bigger issues than that." A third voice said. Turning around, they saw walking towards them, Tela Vasir. A veteran of the SpecTRes yet had a quieter reputation then Nihilus. "I called in a few favors of my own. The fleets are mobilizing. Even the mothballed fleets are being reactivated and added to the defense fleets."

"What do you mean?" Flavus was curious. He knew of the mothballed fleets, older but still effective warships that were brought out of service and replaced with newer models. Yet they were still intact and could be reactivated at a moment's notice. "How? Is someone violating the treaty?"

The asari SpecTRe shook her head. "No. My sources tell me that they renegotiated the Treaty. The number of dreadnoughts has almost tripled since the fleets were reactivated and new ships are being made."

That was distressing news. The Treaty of Farixen was made so that no one Council species would be able to dominate the others by the number of dreadnoughts. The new superweapon of the current age. For ALL the species to be given an increase in the number of dreadnoughts they were allowed to have...it did not bode well.

At this point, the doors at the back of the chamber opened and the three Councilors strode in, carrying an air of dignity...and worry.

"Xenari suggested we might be looking at another Rachni War. I pray to the Spirits she was wrong but the news about the Treaty..." Flavus whispered to Nihilus, who nodded grimly. When the Councilors had ascended to their podiums, Tevos broke the silence that had fallen over the crowd.

"SpecTRes, you have been summoned here because of...distressing circumstances, and now we need to select some of your number to rectify the situation." she said. Councilor Icthyas spoke next. "The exploratory vessel launched beyond the Verge Relay has ceased all communication. We have the means to mount a rescue mission, but given that a SpecTRe was already aboard, this requires that we choose several of you to find out what happened."

The discipline of the SpecTRes that they had gained from their years before becoming agents of the Council was the only reason whispers did not break out amongst the assembled.

That was possibly the worst news Flavus could have heard. He had used his rank as SpecTRe to get his son, Garrus, assigned to the poorly named 'Light of Civilization' as chief of security, a fulfillment of an old dream his son had carried, to both be an explorer and to help people by keeping the peace. He remembered how his son had joked about his ship's name, saying it should have been called 'The One Hope of the Doomed', given what its mission was.

Flavus couldn't take losing Garrus, not after his wife.

"We discussed this course at length and given the lack of information, the severity of the possible consequences and what this mission means to everyone in Citadel space, we decided to place four of your number aboard the 'Lifeline', our chosen rescue ship, which will depart in secret in three days. You will be free to select any associates you feel might aide you in your cause, however we must limit only three companions. This mission must be done swiftly. And we do not have the time to gather a full army. The rest of you will scattered amongst the system of the Verge Relay and the remainder will remain here. In the event we fall under siege."

"Strictly speaking, this is a volunteer operation, and we will only choose from those who volunteer themselves for this effort. If you have any desire to be part of this mission, please put one step-" Sparatus said. There was an audible tromp as every single SpecTRe took the required step.

There was a pause as the Councilors looked in awe at the response. They had known they would receive some volunteers. Perhaps several dozen at most. But that EVERY SINGLE ONE had stepped forward without hesitation and without question. It was almost humbling for them.

Tevos swallowed. "I, no, we, all thank you. And if we could, would allow you all to go and see what has become of the expedition. But speed is of the essence. And we need you hear to defend our own. Are there any among you, aside from a sense of duty, have a reason to go?"

The vast majority looked at themselves and each other. Aside from the Council's call, most had little, if any to go. Flavus however, stepped forward. "Councilors, I ask, no I beg to be sent after the expedition. My son, and my only son, was onboard the ship. And I ask, if nothing else, to bring his body back, to rest with the ancestors."

The next person to speak was Jondom Bau. Flavus had worked with him on several occasions and was frankly surprised that a salarian like him might have anything personal tied to the mission. "Councilors, if I may, my old colleague, Doctor Mordin Solus is onboard The Light. I...I do not say this lightly, but he is among the foremost of our academic minds. I would like very much to bring him back alive. I cannot bear to think of the loss that might be inflicted upon the scientific community should I not."

What went unspoken was how the pair considered each other to be brothers. Each possibly the best in their respective fields. Both seeing various ways to best carry out their duties and help the cause. And both having saved the other's life more than once.

After Bau came Nihilus, whose grim determination radiated off him like light off a star. "If I may, Councilors, I believe I have a high interest in this mission's outcome. SpecTRe Arterius was...is my protégé, and whatever actions he may make or have made out there not only reflect on you, but on me, his mentor. I need to bring him back, as well as evaluate his performance, should we choose to upgrade him to full SpecTRe status and cut him loose to act individually."

The three Councilors looked upon the three who volunteered. "We are gratefully for your actions, and accept your reasons. But, I must ask; is there not another? Is there not another among you with sufficient reason to answer our call?"

No one answered, having no real reason to step forward. "Is there not another?"

Vasir looked at the three; she had a reason, but was loathing to say it. But after the three had stepped forward and given their reasons, and knowing both the reputations and history of each she felt compelled to step forward. "Can't believe I'm going to do this." She muttered under her breathe. "I will answer the Council's call. My reason is this: Matriarch's Benezia's daughter. I once protected her when she was a child. And though it may no longer be my duty, I will still do my best to protect her."

Tevos nodded. "Very well then. We have our four. Each of you is free to take up to three people with you. The 'Lifeline' departs in three days, as stated, so be ready by then. You will retrace the steps of The Light of Civilization and return when you have evidence as to the fate of both her and her crew, or with the ship itself."

Flavus grinned inside. Three people...well he knew who he'd be bringing...

**Warframe Effect**

Tali looked around her quarters...or cell, depending on how you looked at it. The incident earlier had gotten all of the survivors from the exploration vessel escorted to spare quarters here on this massive space station and that arrogant turian a trip to what she supposed was their medical center.

She felt torn over the events that had occurred. While the turian was undoubtedly an arrogant bastard, he'd taken a stand against these human's insane trust of A.I.s. But then she checked that though, remembering how Atton had told her that synthetics had been part of the Empire for centuries, even millennia. Did she have the right to judge them?

After all, compared to them, her people and indeed the rest of the Citadel races must seem like children to them. How could anyone in their society even think of chastising a race that lived as long as these Tenno?

And despite the one incident, the Council, their Council, had offered medical aid in reparations for the actions of the Tenno. Apologizing for the acts of one of their own and the individual's zealous devotion to the Lotus AI.

She snorted. AI. Never did she think she would say the words with anything more than hate or disdain. Instead, when thinking of the Lotus, rather than the hate and anger, all she felt was curiosity. Clearly it was old, very old, and clever, far more than the average Geth.

Before she could carry her technical evaluation further, the door opened.

There was a gold and white Excalibur-clad Tenno standing in it.

"Atton?" She asked, realizing that, like with others who donned full-helmets, it was possible that though someone wore the same armor, it was not necessarily the same person.

"Tali, my apologies. Is this a bad time?" he asked. She shook her head. "What is it?"

"I've been sent to bring you back to the Council. I spoke before the Eight and convinced them to allow me to bring you in during the next meeting. I told them you were less...abrasive and prone to bad decisions than your fellow survivors. Also, I'll admit I have some pull over one or two of them." Tali raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want me next to you?" she asked. It was both refreshing and suspicious to be treated with such respect. In Council Space, she was lucky not to meet someone who insulted her with every other breath. Suit-rat and Varren-legs were words that she had grown accustomed to in her travels. Atton's kindness was...unnerving, in the face of all that.

"It is not so much a personal reason as a...feeling. One that you and your fellow survivors may play some greater role yet to come. I'll admit I've had the feeling before, back when I was first made Clan Mentor of Clan Alecto. It's seldom been wrong."

What Atton didn't mention was that the fact this time it was a feeling of unease. And that the last time he felt this way was before he left with his apprentice. Before the fall of the Empire.

Tali was still hesitant, but given her past experience with the Tenno, she decided it couldn't hurt to find out what they were saying behind closed doors.

Getting to her feet, she signaled to Atton to lead the way, following him out the door and down the maze of corridors. She didn't see any of the survivors on the way to the chamber, probably hiding in their quarters. She didn't really care, though she did wonder what had happened to Liara and that Doctor Mordin. Also, there was that turian who had been with them. She hadn't got his name, but she hadn't felt the aura of disdain she got from most people she met. Maybe she should try talking to him some time…

The walk itself happened in total silence. Atton too focused on getting to the destination, Tali distracted by the decor of the structure, from who looked like power lines to ornate creations, now that she could take some time to see them.

It was...impressive. Very impressive.

When they reached the chamber of the Eight, where not so long ago, chaos had reigned, there was no smear of blood where the turian had lost his legs and she felt a brief pang of curiosity. "Atton, what happened to the Tenno who hurt-" she began. Atton waved a hand dismissively. "He was demoted and sanctioned. He'll spend the next twenty years as a low-grade courier if his Clan Marshall has anything to say about it." He said. The room was now full solely of Tenno, with several particularly colorful ones at the front. Atton pointed them out. "That there is Clan Marshall Calrissian of Clan Bespin, a good friend of the Clan Alecto. Next to him is Marshal name Krajowa Nicholas head of Clan Krajowa. I'm standing in for Marshall Haigen right now as Clan Mentor of Alecto. He's been called back to handle some other matters." As he spoke Tali saw a door on the far right of the chamber open and several other humans entered. One had dark skin with black fuzzy hair, while another had paler, pinkish skin with a layer of black stubble and a number of scars on his face. The one leading them was also dark-skinned, but with far more wrinkles and scars than the other two. They wore black pants with tight-fitting, military looking coats similar to some she had once seen in a picture of a turian admiral, with buttons on one side holding them closed. They also wore black boots, making their progression rather louder than that of the Tenno that came with them.

"Who are they?" Tali asked, pointing out the trio of un-armored humans, "Are they more Tenno?"

Atton shook his head. "No, they are humans we rescued from slavery on Mercury, under the harsh hand of the Grineer. The one at the head, with the deep scars, he is of an old, old line of warriors. The Order of the Sword is in his blood. His name is Anderson , and the others chose him to speak for them."

Tali was confused. "What's the Order of the Sword?"

Atton waved his hand gently; indicating now was not the time.

The trio of humans received respectful nods from those they passed, though Tali noted that the one Atton had called Nicholas gave a nod that was a good deal more curt and sharp than those given by the Tenno around him.

When they took their place next to the Tenno at the head of the crowd, the room's lighting dimmed and the ceiling was illuminated by a massive hologram. Tali was amazed by the reality and scale of the projection, so much so that she almost didn't notice the purple-clad figure that winked into life standing to face the crowd's front. Her eyes narrowed at the Lotus, but she held her tongue. She was more interested in what might be going on here than the AI. That, she would think about later. "Gathered Tenno, we stand on the cusp of our first great campaign since our awakening and reclamation of Mercury." one of the Eight said, Tali recognizing her as the female speaker from her earlier meeting. Her podium glowed as she manipulated something unseen on its surface while one of her colleagues spoke next. "The one who stands here before us today is a descendant of the line of Anderson, and those who we liberated on Mercury have chosen him both as spokesperson and leader. Standing with him are two of his most trusted allies, John Shepard and Jacob Taylor. Prior to this meeting we have spoken extensively with them and we now stand ready to unveil the next stage of this war."

The hologram shifted, the image of the Origin System shrinking and focusing on one of the smallest of the satellites orbiting the sun.

The Lotus was the one who spoke now, her voice betraying only slight tones of synthesization. "Our spies amongst the Corpus have revealed a most disturbing discovery: The Corpus have begun intruding into the Void." Tali was beginning to get better at reading these Tenno the more she was around them. They were far more restrained than many people she had known, so by gauging their reactions to those words, one of a collective stiffening, she could tell that this was a serious subject. "Luckily no major technology has been taken, but sources indicate that they DID manage to capture an original model MOA, of the sort originally created to protect the Towers. They have been able to reverse-engineer and apply its incorporated Fusion Laser technology with remarkable speed and disturbing efficiency. The good news is they plan to use it in part to reverse the ice age-scale climate damage that has befallen many worlds during the Long Night. The bad news is they have copied the design and already formed a prodigious force composed entirely of Fusion MOAs. At present the army in question is untested. That is about to change."

The Lotus indicated the world filling the ceiling above. "They are preparing a massive test run, to see if these new weapons are suitable for large scale deployment by deploying them in the thousands on Europa and its satellites, in an effort to try and combat the Infested there. While this may seem like a good thing, should they be successful, it will prove to the Board that these new weapons are powerful enough to be a threat to any they might use them against, including you, my Tenno. The only answer is a massive counter-operation, to send as many Tenno as we can spare against these walkers, to destroy as many as possible, so many that they appear to be ineffective for mass deployment in the Corpus' post-op reports. It will serve to prevent the proliferation of this technology on the battlefield, and keep the balance of this conflict."

This time, the hologram of the Origin system shifted to show the individual planets in their natural colors. One of the Tenno Councilors stood. "As the Lotus said, we will be striking against the Corpus to prove that these fabrications are nothing compared to the original. That being said, we do not know nor could our spy learn of, the locations of these, psuedo-guardians. Therefore, we shall focus on Venus, Mars, and Europa." With each name, a new world lite up blue, a new target for the Tenno. "Hit as many outposts and ships you can. Cause as much damage you can. Draw their attention. They may not wish to send their newest weapons against you, or they will be eager. Either way, do whatever it takes to draw out and destroy these abominations. We can not allow their creation to be our potential end."

One of the Tenno, a type Tali didn't recognize, with three vents, two on its shoulders and one of the back of its head raised a hand. After being recognized by the Council, asked. "What do these 'Fusion MOAs look like sir? We need to know our target do we not?"

Tali saw the Councilors, and to her shock and surprise, the Lotus, crack a smile. "Of course." Now the solar system disappeared and was replaced by the hologram she had seen the first time she had been in the chamber. "These are the Fusion MOAs. They may seem unwieldy but do not underestimate them. We do not know of their capabilities but we must assume that they, on some scale, use technology of the Towers themselves.

Now another one of these Councilors stood. "This is just one of the reasons you were summoned here, friends. The other may be even more important."

He gestured towards the one Atton had named ' Anderson '.

"In freeing the Grineer's slaves of Mercury, we have reawakened the flame of hope in the hearts of those still loyal to the teachings of the Orokin, in the ways of the Old Days. Anderson is part of a movement that seeks to form a new force, a new kind of Empire, whom we will serve as faithfully as the old. He has also lent his skills and heritage to our cause. We have planned extensively with him and in doing so; he has indicated a benefit that might be gained from this event. As you know, we were very independent in the old days, but now with the infrastructure of the Empire gone, there are things that must be replaced, if this conflict is to be won, and even more that must be rebuilt if we are to restore the glory of old. One of the most important is a dedicated research and development force. Scientists and tacticians that will help arm both ourselves and a revived Order of the Sword with the right tools to face our foes. He has also shown us where we might obtain these and more, including enough to give ourselves a moderate manufacturing and ship-building capacity."

"As such, we now have a new directive Tenno. The capture and procurement of any and all enemy scientists and the contents of their databases."

"These new resources, once they are in our hands, will grant us the capabilities of forging our weapons and ships. Along with intel on any artifacts of Orokin Origin. Or even the locations of our sleeping brothers and sisters."

The hologram above zoomed in on a small speck, which quickly grew into the shape of a massive asteroid laced through with artificial installations from end to end, with other smaller ones around it. "This," the councilor said, indicating the monstrosity, "Is the Cairn. Before falling into the hands of the Grineer, our friend Anderson learned of its existence from his own efforts at gathering information. It is an enormous proving ground, one of the largest the Corpus possess, well defended and manned. However, it also operates on the backs of captive scientists, those...acquired by the Board for their exceptional mental proficiency, to work as scientist slaves for their labs. They are not indoctrinated like most Corpus employees, as such activity would damage them, but they are so well guarded and watched that they are unable to sabotage their masters..." There was a pregnant pause, followed by a rather shocking statement. "We plan to take it."

A stunned silence passed over the assembled Tenno. From their knowledge of existing and current Grineer and Corpus outpost, ships and technology, knew that the structure was massive, even by their scales.

The mined out asteroid was a least a dozen kilometers in length and width, and at least five times that in height. A truly massive creation. To clean it out, it would require a squad of four Tenno years to remove any current 'inhabitants'. Or every single awakened Tenno a day to do so.

It would take all their numbers and their might, but if they could take the facility, no the fortress, the results would be a great victory in their war against the Grineer and the Corpus.

If they raided the facility, it would prove that no location was safe from Tenno.

If they stripped it of its people and artifacts, it would prove their fighting abilities and infiltration skills.

If they exterminated every hostile aboard and claimed it as their own...it would be a declaration to the entire system. 'The Tenno have returned, and we are still Strong!'

"I must protest, Councilor. With our current numbers we cannot take a facility of that scale." the protest came from the Tenno in blue and yellow armor, which Atton had labeled Krajowa.

"Normally you would be entirely correct Marshall." the speaker conceded. Then he pulled up a new set of holograms, rectangles filled with lines that Tali, after examining them, realized must be blueprints of some sort. "These were captured from a random terror-raid on a Corpus Freighter not long ago, carrying other precious cargo, including a cache of Void Keys. It wasn't until studying its nav-data that we discovered it was on its way to the Cairn itself. They are detailed maps and manifests, all pertaining to the Cairn, from how to reach it to who is aboard and best of all, how to take Cairn has no single, central defense computer, as a counter to its size and intrusion, but it does have a primary data router linking them together. A virus slipped into the router will turn the defenses, both internal and external, to our command, allowing us to clean the base out using their own forces."

"But that is not all Tenno. Anderson claims to have other resources."

"For this effort, we are giving free reign to Clans Krajowa, Bespin and Alecto to select soldiers from amongst their ranks to participate. Anderson has also promised to add some forces of his own, a small contingent of trained and loyal warriors hardened by guerilla resistance against both the Grineer and the Corpus long before we awoke."

"Do not underestimate Anderson 's forces. They have learned through pain and experience how to fight our common enemies, and paid for their mistakes in both blood and bodies."

The Marshall of Clan Krajowa didn't respond for a moment before giving a quick salute. "Understood Lotus. I will ready my forces for departure. We will be ready at your order."

Turning on his heel, he walked back into the crowd, passing by Tali and Atton, glancing at the pair. Tali didn't, or rather couldn't, repress the shudder that traveled through her from head to toe when the clan leader passed by. Noting to ask Atton about the particular Tenno later.

"You know your tasks. Gather your forces. We strike in three days." these lines were spoken by the three of the Eight that had done the most talking. With those words the Tenno began to disperse. Tali felt a nudge at her side as the holograms filling the room dissolved, Atton indicating they should leave.

Leaving with the crowd, Tali made sure to keep close to Atton as the crowd thinned out, traveling along different branches and hallways. Her feet began to get sore as they took, what she assumed to be, a longer route back to her quarters. She took the extra time to try and get some answers.

"So, who is the Order of the Sword? And what does this Anderson have to do with them?"

Atton guided her through another door and down a staircase. "The Order was the official open military of the old Empire. As I told you, we were but the shield, maintaining stability and peace. The Sword was the force that fought at the front of the great wars that beset us in our history, patrolling the borders and in general, holding the line against the darkness. Members of the Order serve for life, and Anderson's bloodline has provided numerous legendary soldiers to their cause over the ages. This latest in their line just proves that they are warriors to the bone. I have yet to speak to him, but he reminds me of one of his ancestors I once met."

Atton smiled.

"I remember the battle cry of the Order...it seems so long ago. 'Hold the line against the night. Hold the line until morning's light.'" he shook his head. "How fitting that while they were unable to fulfill the first maxim they are still trying to uphold the second."

Tali sifted through the countless questions in her mind, trying to think of another.

: "It sounds like you have a lot of respect for this Order. It is just you or..."

"Virtually all Tenno will bow in respect to those who served in the Order of the sword. Where Tenno are ordained and chosen from the population for both our character and unique compatibility with the Warframes among other things, all members of the Sword were volunteers from the general populace. They were not chosen. They chose themselves. In fact, their order predates the Tenno, going back to the formation of the Empire over twenty-thousand years ago. They operate by a code of honor that we...I envy. Being a Tenno often means operating in the shadows and doing...unsavory things for the good of all."

Atton shook his head again. "Not so for the Order."

"Just what is about them that you respect them so much?" She was curious. The way he spoke of this order, it was as though they were more incredible than the Tenno.

Atton sighed. "Where would I even begin? The fact that once one joined the order, it was a life commitment? That you were bound to serve and fight until death claimed you? To leave everything you know behind for life of battle and war? And knowing you did this, not with the gifts or tools granted by the Orokin, but by the weapons and armor forged by the hand of your fellow man? Death was all but a certainty, victory was never guaranteed, and yet men and women joined by the thousands, so serve as the warriors and soldiers fighting and pushing back the darkness, so that rest of us, could live in the light."

Atton cleared his throat. "A great poet once wrote of their valor." he said. Then he began to recite.

_Those who fight in the shadows, glory unknown_

_Those who fight a futile battle, death condoned_

_Those who fight their wars, knowing they will die_

_Those who fight for humanity, those whose spirits rise high_

_Gods cannot be brave, when in truth they are immortal_

_Humanity, in its mortality, has courage that is cordial_

_For__it is these men that fight who kindle humanity's hearth_

_It is these men who are truly the Protectors of the Earth_

Tali raised her eyebrows in astonishment. The spirit Atton had put behind that poem spoke volumes on his respect for the warriors now long gone. It was also clear that the recitation brought the Tenno pain, so she tried to find another question.

"What about the Void? What's that?"

"Ah, that is another thing entirely." Atton said, his voice becoming a bit brighter as they moved to a different subject, "The Void is the realm between." There was a pause and Tali was forced to ask: "Between what?"

"Between universes." Atton said matter-of-factly.

Tali's jaw dropped, caught only by her helmet. "What?!" She couldn't see Atton's face, but his voice betrayed his smile.

"The Void is the realm traversed when we use our FTL drives. Technically, a Void Jump is instantaneous to an outside observer, but to those who pass through that inter-dimensional realm the trip is usually a few minutes. It was never tested but it was estimated that a full Void Jump across the galaxy would take a week for those making the jump. The Void was also home to the root of the Orokin's technological prowess; for it was there they found the Transdimensionals."

"The what?" Tali asked, baffled, "You mean they found something LIVING outside time and space!?"

"Not exactly living there, but yes, that is where they reside for the majority of the time. They spend eons in transit, passing through that plane of existence, drifting between universes. As they do, they collect things while passing through those universes they encounter, like sand on a beach. When they return to the void, they leave a train of detritus from their latest excursion. Often times these things do not obey the laws of our waking universe, but the Void has no such limits. The Orokin harnessed the leavings of the Transdimensionals, studying them in great Towers they built to exist indefinitely in the Void itself. The Towers are part lab, part vault, designed to turn those that would rob them into guardians for the very treasures they seek to take. Only Tenno can resist the power of a neural sentry, and not for long at that. The fact is though that we must. The Orokin left their most advanced secrets, their treasures, in the Towers, things even greater than the Vault of the Old Weapons around Jupiter, meant to be locked away and studied, but never, EVER used."

Tali gaped. Such a thing sounded like wild fantasy, but the Tenno said it with the conviction of one who takes things as the truth because they have seen it themselves.

She tried to imagine what bringing such an instrument what was more or less divine power back to the flotilla would mean, not just to her, but to her people...

As though he could read her mind, he warned, "Do not think of ever claiming any of those artifacts for your own or your people Tali'Zorah nar Rayya. I still remember a number of these artifacts and records of those that were discovered but never recovered, because they were beyond containment."

She heard him swallow hard.

"Things made of exotic matter are not for the young to trifle with. Only the Orokin ever walked in the labs those towers hold to gaze upon the Eternal Flame, the Prism of Twenty-Three, the Dwarf Star and the things like them. Even humanity, their most trusted disciples, never laid eyes on the wondrous terrors they brought back out of the Void's Storm. Not even the Tenno."

Atton swallowed. "Imagine a piece of time and space separate from the rest that could fit in the palm of your hand. Yet to simply gaze upon it is nigh impossible, as if the very sight of the thing sickens one of their core; To remaining standing in its very presence is a feat in and of itself. And everything that approaches too closely simply fades, withers, whilst the fragment glows brighter, as though devouring the very essence, energy and life of all that approached. And the most terrible realization about such an object is not its existence, but the suspicion, the creeping doubt, that it is but a small part of a much greater whole?"

There was a terrible silence after he spoke, which he broke when Tali gave up trying to encompass the horror of such a thing, an interdimensional flame that drew living beings towards it like Katchke Moths...and swallowed them. "That is just one of the many terrors those towers contain, to be studied for the benefit of those the Orokin trusted and there they must remain, for the good of us all."

Tali decided not to push the issue further. Despite the odd-sounding names the Tenno gave these objects, it was clear he was afraid of them, and what he feared, she had no doubt she should fear too.

She turned back to the meeting's subjects.

"So can you tell me about those two Clan Marshalls at the front?"

"Clan Bespin is the oldest of Clan Alecto's allies. We helped prevent a civil war from erupting on Coriana, one of the Empire's chief mining colonies during the dark days right after the Sentient War. Back then the Tenno were still proving our worth to the Empire, and together, we helped each other succeed. As for Clan Krajowa...they are a very old clan...but they have always been associated with the more...unpleasant side of a Tenno's work, the sort done in the dark so that no one will see. They have great honor, but they have always been...distant from the rest of us. All the members of Clan Krajowa practically worship the Orokin from what I've been told. And apparently, at least from what I heard, that particular clan has become even more distant, and mysterious in recent days."

"What do you mean?"

"I have spoken with my old apprentices and they tell me they had been off the grid for a considerable time, just prior to our arrival. In fact it was they who restored contact with Clan Krajowa during a routine mission."

**Warframe Effect**

*Five Months Earlier*

-Infested Corpus Vessel—

'Where the hell is the enemy?' The unspoken question went through the heads of the four Tenno who had boarded the infested Corpus freighter. Having traveled a good portion of the ship, they had yet to seen any of infested. Neither a Charger, Ancients nor even a lowly Crawler. The voice of the Lotus spoke, "You're twenty meters from the target, get ready."

Getting closer, gunshots and strange noises were heard. The four Tenno recognized the latter though, having heard them time and time again over their lives. The sound of Tenno abilities.

The four Tenno burst into the room, if the Tenno in the pod had awoken, they would need help. Charging directly into a group of Infested, the group began to slaughter them, leaving a trail of corpses in their wake. Turning the corner, what they found, not a lone Tenno fighting for their life, but another squad of Tenno slaughtering the approaching Infested with ease.

One of them, a Banshee, this one having altered its suit to a darker, grayer tone, turned on the new group. Her Quad-barreled Hek Shotgun aimed directly at them.

"Who the hell are they?" The BANSHEE yelled. The question resonated between the squad as the other Tenno redirected their weapons as the Infested temporarily ceased their assault.

"Stand down!" One of them yelled. They turned to see a VOLT with a blue and yellow color scheme and a Storm helmet walking towards them. "I'm Krajowa Nicholas, commander of this operation. Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Krajowa's squad lowered their weapons, as did Follower's group. Barring Follower himself. Still aiming his personal Gorgon at the VOLT clad Tenno. "Who are you?! The Lotus didn't say anything about another Squad!"

The remainder of Follower's squad gripped their weapons tighter as the realization. The Lotus had told them they were the only ones being sent. Not to mention the weapons some of the unknown squad carried...they gave off an aura that just felt, for lack of a better word, wrong.

"I'd lower that weapon of yours, son. We have no quarrel with you, you'll live longer if you keep it that way." the VOLT said in a tone that only some of the strongest and longest serving Tenno spoke with.

"But I have with you, 'Old man'." Still Follower lowered his weapon slightly, but only enough that it was still pointed in the VOLT's direction. "Who are you? And why hasn't the Lotus told us of you? If you were sent ahead of us, she would have. Otherwise," He brought the light machine gun to bear. "You're a damn traitor or a deserter. So which is it?"

The VOLT, seeming to size Follower up, began to speak in a quieter, almost frightening tone "Who do you think you're talking to? Who are you to accuse me of being a traitor? I am the Marshall of Clan Krajowa. We were sent on this mission to extract one of our fellow Tenno, and we were told nothing of your arrival. How do we know you aren't traitors? Or that you planned to take this cryopod for yourselves?"

Two of Follower's squad relaxed their grip on their weapons as uncertainty set in. Being relatively 'young' amongst Tenno. One of them, a newly ordained FROST, only a century into the service still had much to learn. The other, a NOVA, did the same, having only been in the service a half century before the Long Night.

"Like Hell!" He roared, engaging his Iron Skin. "You tell me who you are or by the Orokin I'll beat it out of you!" He stepped forward, ready to grab the VOLT by the throat.

The VOLT didn't react, standing there uncaring as the RHINO moved to charge forward before all their helmets were filled by the voice of the Lotus. "STAND DOWN TENNO! STAND DOWN!"

Follower stopped, his hand moving towards Krajowa's throat. Stopping well before his hand actually wrapped around his throat. The rest of Krajowa's squad had their weapons drawn and aimed at Follower. The amount of firepower they carried would have torn through the RHINO, Iron Skin or not. "These Tenno have been MIA for some time. I see them on my sensors now. Accessing their communications now.

Krajowa Nicholas, it has been nearly a year and a half since we had contact with you. What is the reasoning for this?" The Lotus asked.

"We have been scouring the Void, Lotus. On one of our missions just before we lost contact, we found large caches of Void keys held by the Grineer. We became infatuated with these keys, our curiosity urging us to explore the Orokin towers. It was within the Void we found one of the largest towers to date. Inside it, we found dozens of pieces of technology that was deemed lost. The tower itself almost seemed alive. In the silence it sounded like I could hear faint whispers. Its neural sentry was also one of the strongest we have ever encountered. I was difficult to resist, even with our Warframes. We spent a great deal of time returning to this particular tower, its key unique in that it was not destroyed when we first activated it. We gathered and catalogued all the technological wonders. We are a small clan, and all of us were eager to discover more. The technology in that tower was immense, and we took what we could before the key no longer worked. Searching for more towers like it, we used the remaining keys, thoroughly searching its archives and central structure. Unfortunately, we never found another tower quite like it. It wasn't until recently we used our last key, and were unable to return to the Void. I have no excuse as to why we didn't contact you, our lust for knowledge made us lose sight of your guidance. We are prepared to serve, that is why we have come to aid our frozen comrade." Krajowa Nicholas said with conviction in his voice.

"I… we understand Krajowa. I feared you had been lost to the enemy." The relief could heard plainly in the Lotus's voice. "Follower-of-the-Path, stand down and step away from your brother Tenno. This is a moment to rejoice, not strife." The others of Follower's squad relaxed their holds and stances, overjoyed at the return of Tenno thought to be lost and the prospect of the bounty the other squad and their clan must have gathered.

"Very well Lotus. I understand." Follower stepped away, and the weapons aimed at him began to lower. Despite his own misgivings at Krajowa's reasoning, he could find no fault or deceit in his words. Extending a hand he said, "Welcome back brother."

**Warframe Effect**

Please Review!


	7. Chapter 7

Warframe Effect

A/N: Follower38: Another filler guys. Sorry. But we, meaning me and my cowriter, Vadrigos, need this as we are, for all intents and purposes, world-building. Let us know what you think.

Written by Follower38 and Neodammarung the Destroyer

Betaed by Jyggalag

Chapter 7

Flux wasn't the gaudiest of the nightclubs on the Citadel, but it was big and colorful and loud...and just the one Flavus was looking for. Not for the dancers or booze of course, no. The thing, or rather the person he was seeking was just within the club not of it. It had been less than sixteen hours since he had met with Nihilus after the session in the Council Chambers. He had said he would be bringing Xenari, which technically meant the expedition would have five SpecTRes, not four. Not that anyone complained. 'The more the merrier' was the general outlook. He had also selected a turian biotic of great repute, one Nyreen Kandros, which Flavus personally found fitting. He knew Nyreen's father, having served with him in the Hierarchy Navy, and she and Garrus had once been playmates back when they were young. As for himself...well he'd picked the two he'd be bringing on the mission long before coming here. The bouncer was an elcor, but Flavus had been here on other occasions, and was passed through without a second look. He found who he was looking for sandwiched between two asari Maidens with a bottle of ryncol...check that, a CASE of ryncol sitting by his foot. "Urdnot Wrex..." he said taking a seat across from the enormous krogan, "Living large in the lap-dance of luxury I see?"

The scarred krogan snorted. "Pfft. More like couldn't get away from it. These kids are all over me nowadays. Wanting to hear about my 'exploits' during the Rachini Wars, and the Krogan Rebellions and everything else before, between and after." He grabbed a bottle of ryncol, a drink that would literally shred the throats of anything that drank it, except krogan, varren and the odd vorcha. "So, what do you want? It's unusual for someone like you down here. What's the matter SpecTRe life get to uptight for you?"

Flavus gave the krogan a turian's impression of a grin. "So happy you asked. I've got a job for you. I know you're probably burning through the credits from the last one pretty fast so I figured you might be in want of another."

Wrex gave a shrug. "C'mon Flavus, get to the point." he grumbled. Flavus eyed the two asari.

"I will, but you need to send your...fans away first. What I'm going to tell you isn't really supposed to leave my mandibles except in the presence of those in the know, or those I'm planning to bring." Wrex nodded to the two girls, who frowned, but wandered off, one slipping a card into the krogan's plate and mouthing 'Call us later.'. When they were gone, Wrex turned back to the turian.

"This oughta' be good."

Flavus shook his head and activated the privacy field around the small table they were sitting at. "Not really. Thing is, something's happened to the ship we sent out beyond the Verge Relay. I'm part of a group of SpecTRes who're being sent to find out what happened." Wrex choked on the sip of ryncol he was taking. Flavus waited until he was done coughing. "You...you're serious!? A GROUP of SpecTRes!?"

Flavus nodded. "We're allowed a couple of select companions each."

Wrex thumped his chest once to clear it. "Even I didn't rank that during the Rebellions! And I had a five-figure kill-count alone! What in the name of Kalros's spawn did you people find!? Or better yet what did you piss off!" Wrex was livid. They had uplifted his people to fight a war that the Citadel had been losing. A war they started, but activating Relays. And here they were at it again!

"I don't know, frankly. They didn't tell us much. But the dossier did say they found traces of an eezo isotope, undoubtedly created by artificial means. And something else...a cryo pod. The last message we got was that they were preparing to open it." Flavus pulled up his Omni-Tool and flicked holographic data cubes towards Wrex's. The krogan quickly activated his own and skimmed over the files he'd received. He ignored the charts and graphs, no doubt some salarian's analysis of this wierd material, but he lingered on the image of the pod and the faceless warrior contained within. It looked sort of like an asari or batarian, but clad in a suit of armor somewhere between a form-fitting jumpsuit and an organic covering, as if the suit had been grown around the alien. White was the dominant color, with gold filigree and tracings, plus a horn-like protrusion at the front of the helm.

Wrex examined the image, trying to figure out why it seemed so...familiar...when he did, his eyes widened a little. "Sweet spawn of Kalros..." he gasped.

"What?" Flavus asked. He'd never seen Wrex react like this, not once in all the time he'd known him.

"Tell me; do we have any, and I mean ANY limitations on what we bring with us?" Flavus was intrigued, he never knew of his friend to tell anyone of what were usually illegally-upgraded arms he was bringing with him, let alone ASK for permission.

"Why? Do you-"

"Just answer me Vakarian!"

"No, not as far as I know. For us SpecTRes and those that we bring with us at least. Why?"

"There's...a legend...a very, VERY old legend among my people. At least 50,000 years old, some say older...of a race of beings called the Muad' Kal, the Faceless. It's said they came from the heavens, emissaries of Vaul, one of our gods, to examine the krogan and see if we were worthy of joining the gods. Eventually they left, deeming us unready, but their legend still survived, through all that was happened to the krogan. It's said they had power over the forces of nature and the minds of mortals. That they could best any and all, even the strongest of our old heroes." Wrex growled, "When I was a hatchling, my mother took me to a place on Tuchunka where there was a massive mural carved, to preserve that legend. It's worn with time, like everything else on that rock, but that warrior...I've seen his likeness only once before, and it was on that mural." Wrex turned off his omni-tool to look, grabbing another bottle of ryncol. "Tell me, how much do you know of our world?"

Flavus shook his head. "Not much beyond what everyone else in the Galaxy knows and what you told me of. Why?"

"You know of Kalros right? The Mother of All Thresher Maws?" Flavus nodded. He knew of the Legend, of a Thresher Maw so massive that it was supposedly impossible to kill, or even wound. Though there was a single massive faded scar. Likely it had grown with it over...its...lifetime...

"No. Impossible, you're telling me these aliens did that?!"

Wrex shrugged, the shock having worn off enough for that. "I don't know myself but that's what the legends say. How one of the visitors carved that scar, leaving behind a wave of blood and flash of light in its wake."

Flavus' mind worked quickly. Whatever these aliens were, they were old, very old, and powerful. He wasn't as sure about the scar on Kalros as Wrex seemed to be, but the story of the mural...he'd have to relay that to the Council. If such a force had been to this part of space before, they needed to know...but that might end with them preventing the launch of the recovery ship, and he would not have that, not while Garrus' life was possibly at risk. If his son was in the hands of these aliens, he would do whatever it took to get him back.

He nodded to Wrex. "You can bring whatever you can carry, so long as you do it quickly and quietly. We're trying to keep this under wraps." he said. Slowly the krogan nodded.

"Alright. I'll do it." he said. Flavus shot him some more data.

"This is the ship's location and boarding times. Show these credentials to them and they'll get you and whatever you bring aboard." Once he was done he stood and turned to leave.

**Warframe Effect**

Garrus lay back on an admittedly very comfortable mattress his jailors had provided him with. They hadn't locked him up, but they were jailors nonetheless in his mind. He and the other thirty-nine survivors couldn't leave. They were trapped on this space-station, in close orbit of a yellow dwarf sun. There did not appear to be any feasible way off it and he doubted his hosts would appreciate his trying to find one. They hadn't harmed him...much, except for that riot that had erupted in the Council Chamber, when one had blinded him then punched him in the face before getting him in an arm-bar to subdue him.

He had been so stunned by the blast of light the alien warrior...Tenno had unleashed that his years in C-Sec hadn't been able to save him. He'd never had to apprehend a perp who had flash-bombs in his hands. And even then, it was less of a flash-bomb and more a solar flare erupting in front of his eyes. He blinked again, trying to clear out the last of the image that was burned into his retinas from the light.

He had been firmly escorted to these new quarters, provided with a tasteless dextro gruel and a stiff apology from the ones who had escorted him, along with a...suggestion that he stay put while the Council sorted matters out.

Of course he had tried to leave and find the others, but gave up after getting lost and redirected to his quarters. Twice.

He hadn't really argued. He'd known Desolas, having sat next to him in the mess hall once or twice, and it'd be his opinion that the turian was an utter racist.

Still, he hadn't gotten mad enough to cut the guy's lower legs off. It seemed to him that just before the fight erupted, the other Tenno had been as shocked by the sudden act of violence as he had. Maybe it was an accident...or maybe that polite exterior was hiding a very ugly attitude of species superiority.

There was a chime at his door.

He rolled over to see the aperture open to admit the Tenno that had greeted him upon his passage through the portal, the one with the crested helmet.

Stepping aside, he activated what he had labeled the door controls, to allow both to see the other. "Yes?"

"Hi...I shouldn't really be doing this, but I heard about what happened in the Council Chambers and I thought you might like someone to explain things...or maybe just someone to talk to."

He sat up while the Tenno strode across to the other side of the room and took a seat in one of the chairs, which were not configured for turians and as such had been useless to him. She turned it so the back was facing him, then settled down, legs spread to either side with her forearms resting on the lip of the top. It was a position he had seen asari cops assume when interrogating perps back in his C-Sec days, and it struck him as sort of unprofessional...but this wasn't a professional visit. She had said so.

"So...what's your name?" she asked after an awkward pause.

"Garrus Vakarian of House Vakarian, Chief of Security aboard the CSV Light of Civilization, Serial Number VG1153-34-" he began to recite, until the Tenno burst out laughing.

"No, no, no!" she giggled, in a voice that reminded Garrus a little of his sister, "I'm not here to interrogate you, you silly bastard!" She waved a hand towards herself. "My name's Beka Shabayev. I'm a Banshee." Garrus cocked an eye ridge in confusion.

"Banshee?" he asked. If she really wasn't interrogating him, it couldn't hurt to learn a little.

"That's the name of my Warframe, my armor. It's named after an ancient legend of Earth, about a spirit who's ghostly wails signaled that death drew close...not that has anything to do with the current situation." she added, as she saw him shuffle back a bit on his bed.

"Why are you here? If not to interrogate me, then that?"

The Tenno shook her head, and then to his eternal surprise her helmet unfolded itself like a flower petal or some spider's mandibles, pulling back to reveal a pink-skinned, gold haired and blue-eyed human. "I came to talk. Is that so strange to you?" When he didn't respond she continued. "I just thought I might succeed where the Council obviously failed in a more one on one conversation."

"But, aren't you holding us prisoner?" Garrus asked, feeling a little bewildered. The human smiled.

"We're all prisoners in the Origin System, Chief Vakarian. Either prisoners of the Grineer and their brutish ways, or prisoners of the Corpus and their fiendish institutions, or prisoners of our own, unable to go out in the sun without being shot at."

She gestured at him. "We're protecting you. What you experienced on that Grineer Galleon is just a taste of the cruelty that embroils this whole system."

Garrus glowered at her statement. The way she phrased it made him feel as if he was being talked down to like a child who was being told gently by their parents that the world is a dangerous place full of bad people, in a very condescending way.

Still, he couldn't help but admit she had a point. The Light of Civilization was gone, blown to pieces by that Grineer Galleon, and he and the survivors hadn't a clue as to what to do next. As if that weren't enough, the only way out of this system was in the hands of ruthless corporate freaks, never a good thing.

"So, why do you need us? From what I've seen your people seem more than capable of fighting a war. As 'primitives'," Beka winced at his sarcastic tone, "we must seem totally helpless and probably useless, much less than an actual useful ally."

"In a war like this Garrus, we need everyone and everything we can lay hands on. You and your people are an unexpected arrival in a conflict that's just beginning. And don't underestimate yourselves. I've been around a long, long time, and I can tell you that in the end it isn't the technology that makes the warrior."

Garrus' eyes narrowed further. "So you're going to DRAFT us!?" he growled.

The Tenno waved her hands placating. "No, of course not, but from what my fellow Tenno tell me, that Doctor Mordin is practically climbing the walls to get us to let him work with us. We only want people who want to fight for us. I know we haven't exactly made you open to that idea, but I'm willing to try again, if you are."

Garrus fumed at the prospect of being forced into a war he had no desire of fighting. If he had desired to fight for the rest of his life, he would have stayed in the military. "But, that's not the only reason I came here."

He snorted. "Oh? What else do you want from us? Our military secrets? Our navy? How about we just prostrate ourselves before you and proclaim you as our gods?!" He yelled, his anger and frustration over the past several days all erupting at once at Beka, who took it the brunt of it, showing no resistance.

The Tenno burst out laughing at that, making Garrus even angrier. He felt a sudden compulsion to try and strangle this alien, but held it in check. "And they said that you people were all going to have a universal 'scepter up the ass'."

Garrus was confused now. "Who said that?" The Tenno giggled.

"Nobody." she said playfully.

Garrus rose to his feet. "Either interrogate me or get out. I'm not going to sit here and be insulted." he said, grinding his mandibles together.

The Tenno stood. "Oh Garrus. I'm just here to present an offer. In a couple days we're going to be executing a big operation. Obviously you have no real reason to help us, but the fact is you don't have much of a choice. You can either sit here, or do nothing while we work to get you home...or you can help us make that happen."

Garrus paused. "Is this official?" he asked.

The Tenno rolled her hands in an odd gesticulation and said "Think of it as a step towards mending bridges, a joint operation, the first of its kind between yours and mine."

Garrus pondered that. If they were asking him to do this, it meant they wanted to trust him, and frankly despite recent words and events, he wanted to trust them. They felt...honorable, like the officers that had been in the company of his father on many occasions, and his father himself. Also, frankly, he wanted a little revenge...and if he could make an alliance with the people, not only would it be great for the Citadel, but he might get that chance."

"I'll...think about it." he said.

"That's all I ask." she said. She rose and moved towards the door, Garrus doing the same and following her. Once she stepped over the threshold, she turned suddenly back towards him. "Oh almost forgot." Before Garrus could ask what, she leaned over and kissed him on his right mandible. His jaw and mandibles dropped in shock. "See ya later big man." Her helmet sealed up again as she stepped back and the doors closed. Leaving Garrus Vakarian alone, with one question repeating over and over again in his mind. "What just happened?"

**Warframe Effect**

Shepard had spent a lifetime in a Corpus Civilian Center , followed by an adulthood spent half on-the-run from both the Grineer and Corpus. Plus a further four years in the Grineer mines of Mercury. His mother had told him tales of the ancient Empire of the Orokin, and their legendary warriors the Tenno, who had been the blade by which they carved men into better beings. So to be standing in the presence of these self-same legends...it was a bit overwhelming.

Nevertheless, Shepard reminded himself that under the second skin of that legendary armor, the immense powers and the post-human physiology, there were still people. This point was helpfully reinforced when he saw two of them speaking with the a Third whom he assumed was their Clan Marshall. He watched from a distance while they spoke.

"Sir, I must protest. We've been working with Zaeed as part of our squad for years! He'd be the best suited for the task of assisting in our task of defending the server while we give it a work-over!" one said. He was wearing a Rhino frame with a blue sheen.

The Clan Marshall waved his hand. "He needs to be part of the first wave."

At the RHINO's disappointment, the Clan Marshall amended, "I understand Follower, but his skills will be needed with the first wave. His technical acuity will be invaluable in sabotaging their systems and buying the others time to infiltrate."

"So who will be replacing him?" the Excalibur standing next to the Rhino asked.

"Marshall Calrissian has given us Tenno Harkness to assist you in penetrating the defenses on the opposite side of the base with the package while we come in from the other to secure the server itself in preparation for your arrival."

Shepard thought he heard the Rhino grumble something, but wasn't sure he had actually said anything until the Marshal snapped: "What was that, Tenno Follower?"

"Nothing, sir. Tenno Harkness is an honorable and venerated warrior. I look forward to working with him!"

"As well you should. He's a master of stealth. He's been a major influence in building the spy network we now have at our disposal. Perhaps he'll...reeducate you on the value of silent infiltration."

There was a pause in which it seemed that the conversation was at an end, before the RHINO hesitantly said: "Respectfully sir, while Harkness is a very capable warrior, of that I have no doubt. I...we do not need reeducation, sir. I am fully capable to silent infiltration. I do not believe I need this reeducation. I would prefer to have a FROST unit as a replacement for Zaeed. Sir."

The Marshall shook his helmeted head. "That request just shows how much you need that reeducation. We are going to be drawing the enemy fire with our initial assault while you come in the other way. Bringing a Frost would be counterproductive. They would attract far too much attention. As you know, Tenno Harkness is an Ash-Frame. His ability to bypass barriers with stealth will compliment your ability to strike quickly and with finality, to prevent an alarm from being sounded."

Shepard couldn't see past the Tenno's helmet, but he imagined the warrior beneath was grinding his teeth.

"Yes...sir." he said.

"Good, then see to your preparations." the Marshall said, turned to stride off.

"Sir, with all due respect. I had assumed I would be part of a heavy-hitter squad, to draw as much attention to my squad as possible."

"There are two ways to wield a hammer, Tenno. The first is head on, to bring immense force to bear in order to beat down the foe. The other, is from behind, to crack the skull without warning and stun the foe so you might cut them down. The last thing they will expect is a heavy Tenno to strike from within their midst."

Shepard half-expected the warriors to turn away and leave themselves, but he was thrown when they came towards him. He was alone, having requested the freedom to roam Divine Hope from Anderson, who had gotten permission from the Eight.

"So, you're Shepard..." the Excalibur said. He held out his hand. "Nathan. Nathan Durandul. This big lug is a Follower-of-the-Path, but I really, REALLY suggest you don't call him a lug."

"Not unless you feel like becoming a smear against the wall today."

Shepard shook the outstretched hand, doing his best not to betray his awe at being spoken to by warriors that had been the subject of his bedtime stories and dreams of adolescence.

He did his best to try and ignore the other Tenno's threat. He probably didn't mean it...probably. "I'm honored, sir. I understand we'll be working together to steal the Corpus' toy box?" he said, half questioning, trying to confirm that the conversation he had just witnessed was what he thought it was.

The RHINO nodded. "So you are the one called Shepard? The one who suggested this in the first place? You know, I met a lot of humans when I broke out the slaves on Mercury. I don't remember seeing you." the Rhino said.

Shepard did his best to roll with the somewhat clumsy comment. "I wasn't exactly on Mercury. I was on one of the Galleons in orbit. It was some other Tenno who busted me and my band out, along with Anderson . We'd been slated for execution because of our...persistent resistance."

The one called Nathan laughed at that jovially. "Nice! Persistent resistance! Ha!"

Shepard wasn't sure whether to laugh to or be offended... Follower stepped forward, and placed a hand on Shepard's shoulder.

"Ignore my brother. Whatever anyone may say, you and the others have my respect for that." The one in Rhino armor crossed his arms. "However, stubborness is one thing, but how good are you in a fight?"

Shepard shrugged. "I can hold my own against Grineer and Corpus robots." he said.

"What about Corpus Security Guild soldiers?" Nathan asked.

Shepard hesitated. "I've fought with them now and then. I had a friend who served as a pilot for us for a while, a black-market pilot named Jeff Moreau. I haven't heard from him in a while, but he taught me some of their combat doctrines." Nathan nodded. The Corpus were, in truth, the ultimate monopoly. They controlled the economy of the Origin System from the top down, and the only competitor was the black market, which was composed pretty much of anything that wasn't part of the Corpus monopoly.

"Good. We'll need all the skills you can bring to the assault. Even with so many Tenno, we'll need as many hands on deck as possible. Do you know which squad you have been assigned to?" Follower asked.

"Not as yet, but I'm thinking it'll probably be support for yours, based on what Anderson told me."

"Good." Follower said, "You look like a guy I can trust to watch my back."

There was a pause before Shepard asked another question. "I know I shouldn't ask, but what was that you muttered when you were talking to the Marshall ?"

"He said 'That's not the only thing that's going to get penetrated if we bring Harkness along.'." Nathan immediately said. This elicited a snort of laughter from Follower.

Shepard was confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, it's not an insult to Harkness. It's just that he has this...reputation for being found in bed with males and females and...yeah, people of every species. He's got this sort of...insane charisma. You can't stay mad at the guy and he's got what I can only call a supernatural charm. I swear, when I worked with him last, it didn't take more than twelve hours the last time I worked for him before I found him shacking up with an Arrechan." Follower now burst into full-fledged laughter. Shepard on the other hand was shocked at the unprofessional description he was being handed. "Of course, the thing is he's great at using those charms to get vital intel and secure loyalty from people he meets. I expect that's how he helped develop our spy net."

"Only real problem is, he doesn't know when to stop sometimes. Hitting on even us, his fellow Tenno mid-mission. Last time I worked with him, I had to hit him over the head with my Gram to get the message through that I wasn't and will never be, interested."

"The guy's a never-ending fountain of innuendo...at least he was the last time I checked." Nathan grunted.

Shepard gave a nervous laugh. Considering himself to be as straight as they came. He was felling trepidation with working someone of Harkness's reputation. Not that he had a problem with his orientation. Mankind had had over twenty-thousand years to get past most of its homophobic tendencies. He just wasn't really sure he wanted to work with a guy who might end up hitting on him in the middle of a firefight.

"Come on." Follower grabbed his shoulder. "If you're going to be part of our squad, least I can do is make sure you got a decent weapon."

"You'd give me one of your guns?" Shepard said, a bit in awe. "Oh yeah." Nathan said, "I talked with the Marshall about that. See, in the old days, agents and informants of the Tenno were issued very nice weapons to keep them safe. We don't have a lot of them around, but we'll supply them to you and anyone else who wants to fight for us until we can get you your own guns." What seriously?" Shepard asked.

"Yup. Generally they were variants on standard guns, classified as 'Vandal' weapons. They were decaled with the mark of the Lotus to make sure people knew who they were fucking with. I can probably secure you a Lato and Braton Vandal."

"Pfft! That's coming from your stash Nathan, and you can keep the Lato. I'll hand him one of my Lexes. He's going to need the firepower."

"I thought you sold that thing...or was that before I started playing the Corpus stock market for fun and profit and you began mooching off me?"

This earned the Excalibur an eyeless glare from his companion. "Shut it 'Mr. Million', not all of us are as lucky. You still need to work on your marksmanship by the way."

"My marksmanship is fine! And as for getting that gun from my stash, I don't HAVE a Lato Vandal or a Braton Vandal. The ones we have left kept down in Divine Hope's vaults. We'll have to talk to the quartermaster first."

Shepard was surprised at how human this bickering was: it flew in the face of the songs his mother had sung him about the Tenno, but did help him feel easier in their presence.

"Sure. Match my skill with a Latron then I'll accept that. Otherwise, keep trying." Turning to look at Shepard as he walked, Follower asked. "So, since my brother is so adamant about it, we'll get you some Vandals but remember, some of us are willing to loan you other weapons."

Shepard chose the polite way out. "Thanks. I don't think I'll need them, but I'm sure my friends will want something. I've got a friend named Jim Vega who'd love something heavier than an assault rifle."

"I can provide that." Nathan said immediately.

"Alright, that's your choice." Follower submitted. Already making plans to bring along an extra just in case.

**Warframe Effect**

In deep space, in the void beyond Mercury's furthest Lagrange points, a damaged Grineer Galleon drifted through the abyss of space.

In its silent corridors, the floors were strewn with the bodies of dead Grineer, some having been shot or cut to pieces, the majority having suffocated when the life support was disabled. Each slowly but surely disappearing one by one as the nanites began their work. Their progress slowed by so much death.

Down these halls, moving with cold purpose walked a shadow, a being of deadly ability and terrible power.

His armor black and edged with red, he left a black cloud as he moved, trailing it like smoke from a smokestack. Reaching a set of doors, locked as seen by their red hue. It stopped. Drawing its blade on its back, it swung. The doors held for a moment, before falling apart. Split cleanly in two diagonally.

Beyond lay a vast, dark hangar bay, in which only one ship remained. The ground was strewn with chunks of Grineer, having shattered earlier, but since melted, the cold of the ship having only delayed their defrosting. Most of the lights were out, the primary reactor having melted down when its coolant systems had been shot to pieces.

Slowly, the black figure strutted down the stairs to the flight deck. Stepping lightly over the flesh and gibbets of viscera. Ignoring the dead and fallen. He walked with a purpose. Focusing on a single target. Reaching it, he looked down at the corpse of Captain Vor. The Grineer's eyes still burning with hate even in death.

The Grineer's two halves lay in disarray, the blood and lubricant that had fueled it having dried on the deck a while ago.

The warrior knew what had to be done. It was his purpose. To restore the natural balance, and ensure the Cycle, his master needed a puppet. Reaching behind it, the figure drew an Orokin Key, but this one was, altered. Cracked and oozing black smoke, giving off a sinister aura.

And though to anyone else, the corpse of the Captain might've been a hopeless cause, it was not so for one of the harbingers of N'zoth, the agents of change.

Pressing the key into the hole in the Captain's armor, the corrupted key crackled with energy. The once dead Captain let out a gasp as the dark energies courses through his body.

Ethereal black tendrils spread from the key, spreading like a cancer, spilling down over the deck to drag the two halves of Captain Vor back together. And as the dark warrior stood, he spoke, in a voice of hissing shadow. "Rise, Captain. Rise and serve once more. We need you...need you to be our eyes...our ears...our mouth...our PUP-PET." And under his black helm, his desiccated face smiled a cruel smile. "Come, Captain...this war has just...BEGUN."

**Warframe Effect**

On the day the rescue ship was set to depart, there was no official fanfare, and not a word was whispered of the ship's purpose. Flavus, Nihilus, Jondum and Vasir were present and onboard before the necessary cargo was even being loaded.

Despite being in broad daylight during the station's day cycle, the ragtag group meeting together was less conspicuous than had they met during the night.

Around them, pallets of supplies and other materials were being loaded onto the ship by automated drones, some of the crates more unique from the rest. It turned out only Nihilus and Flavus had decided to bring anyone with them. Jondom and Tela had turned up with just themselves. Wrex had showed up shortly afterwards, leading Jondom to protest until Flavus glared at him.

"You got everything you need Wrex?" Flavus was curious to know exactly what kind of ordinance the old krogan warlord wanted to bring that he was willing to ask permission first.

"Just about." he said.

Flavus looked behind the krogan to see two cases of a rather large size. One was marked with a radiological hazard. "Tell me that isn't what I think it is." he said, looking back to the krogan.

Wrex just smirked. "Okay, it's not what you think it is." The smirk disappeared as quick as it came. "Honestly though, I'm just bringing that along as an insurance policy. Even as a krogan, there are some weapons I DON'T want to see used."

Flavus nodded hesitantly, and turned away. Just in time to see a green-skinned shape approaching, the other select companion he had contracted for this expedition.

"Greeting Flavus. It is good to see you again. Though as I understand it, under worse conditions then either of us hoped, but one we both expected."

"It's good to see Thane. And yes, I realize these aren't the happiest of circumstances. Still, I'm glad you could come." Flavus said to the drell who now stood next to Wrex. He carried very little, only a small bag of vital materials. Thane traveled light. It meant he left less evidence, which for an assassin was always important.

"Thane? As in the assassin?" Vasir asked. "I've heard a lot about you. No matter what the contract was, you always delivered. Heard you disappeared off the grid a few months ago."

"I'd like it to stay that way." the drell said.

"What do we need him for? Assassins aren't exactly good frontline soldiers or assault squads."

"Indeed, but I am the best marksman out of everyone here. And I am certain that, among present company only, I am unsurpassed in stealth and tracking." Thane countered.

"He's right." Flavus looked at each of his fellow SpecTRes in turn. "I asked him to come for several reasons. Like he said, as a sniper, no one here can match him. He's even taught my son a few tricks. So we got long-range support should we need it. And he's going to serve as our scout. Sorry Jondam, I know you pride yourself as an intelligence officer but we can't assume that it'll be the same out there like here. That means we'll need solid intelligence. Not just hacked intel."

The salarian didn't even spare the drell a glance, merely shrugging in acceptance.

"So," Wrex said after a brief silence, "what exactly is the plan?"

"We'll be flying out to the Verge Relay. From there we'll have to follow the records the Council provided of their journey, up to the point of their disappearance. After that, we'll need to search the systems around that point in a widening spiral. If all else fails, we'll do a grid-by-grid search. If we haven't found anything by that point, we give up and come back." That was Nihilus, ever the astute planner. He had had the whole mission drawn out long before they arrived here.

"And I'm calling Klixen shit. No way that's what we're doing. I know you turians too well. You never leave anyone behind. Not if you can help it. And you've both got someone too close to you to just abandon them even if they're dead." Wrex stated bluntly.

Nihilus gave the Kkogan a long slow look, before turning away and striding off to ensure their cargo wasn't tampered with. Wrex grunted in approval. It wasn't every day he got to stare down one of the most famous SpecTRes in Citadel Space. And he knew by the turian's reaction that he was dead right.

The turians wouldn't give up. Even if they did come back, and the Council refused to sponsor another expedition, the turians would send their own people to find out what had happened, with orders not to stop until an explanation was found.

Either that or they would go off on their own if someone didn't stop them first. It wasn't unheard of. Entire families had been lost trying to find those who had gone missing in the void of space. "Let's get going then." Wrex hefted a massive and aged crate that he had brought onboard himself. What was inside was something that they all hopefully would never find out. The only comfort was the fact that it had no warning labels.

This was a good thing, because if they DID know what was inside it was conceivable that they might label it as being worse than the M-920 Cain he had in the other.

**Warframe Effect**

Krajowa Nicholas looked out over his twelve Tenno companions, those of his own clan he had recruited for this mission. He'd aided in their training himself, rather than let the Clan Mentors handle it entirely. It had allowed him to reinforce their faith, the faith that every member of Clan Krajowa shared: that the Orokin were supreme. They were a race that had achieved the ultimate goal, the ascent to transcendence, and now were at one with the fabric of the universe. It was instilled into every member of his clan that it was their duty to seek the same ultimate enlightenment. That it was their ultimate objective to guide the galaxy towards another mass ascent to enlightenment. Unfortunately, many of the lesser races and even many humans did not see eye to eye with him or his people on this subject.

"You all know your objectives. Once we are on the station, slaughter any and all combatants and seize any potential and useable personnel." What was unsaid but understood by Nicholas's clan was that any noncombatant was to be captured unharmed, but if they proved to have chosen to ally with the Corpus, they were already as good as dead. "We are to keep the station as intact as possible. That means they want you to restrain yourselves and your powers." He looked towards some of the younger and the more powerful Tenno. "I want as many assets as we can get our hands on. I want that station as intact as possible. Watch the collateral damage."

The Tenno clicked their heels. With their helms unfolded they raised their chins and took on noble stances. "YES WARLORD!" they shouted. Nicholas raised his fist. ""Now go to your ships. Remember, you are Tenno, your foes will evolve or they will perish! Good luck!"

From the back of the room, the other Tenno who would be working with them watched warily. There were also some humans with them, members of Anderson 's resistance who had been selected for the assault wave of the mission.

Since they had met the Clan Marshall, they, meaning Anderson 's team, had been largely disregarded by the Marshall . Pushed to the side and told to stay out of the way, 'for now' he had said when they tried to protest or had simply given them a dark look to silence them.

Among them was Ashley Williams, whose own lineage was bound with the Order of the Sword almost as deeply as Anderson 's.

She didn't like this Marshall much. His Clan referred to him as 'Warlord', which was not how she'd seen the Tenno under Haigen Montoya act. They smelled of an almost religious zeal...in fact it was entirely possible it WAS religious zeal given what she had just heard.

She leaned over to the VAUBAN-clad Tenno standing next to her, pretending to check her Braton Vandal. Almost all the humans had been issued either Snipetron, Braton or Lato vandals. A few had Grineer Grakatas and even a Strun or two, but largely their weapons had come from the Tenno armories.

"Are they all like that?" she muttered to him.

The VAUBAN shrugged. "Kro's clan wasn't always like that. I mean, I knew he looked up to the Orokin, but I didn't think he worshipped them." He drew his own Dera, this one heavily modified to the point it barely resembled the base model. "He's not the same Tenno I knew before the Long Night. Something changed him. What that is I don't know, but it changed him alright."

"It doesn't seem safe to operate with that kind of zeal." Ashley muttered. Of course that was slightly hypocritical. Ashley herself had been struggling with her own kind of zeal, zeal to redeem her family name. The last of her line to be part of the Order had been forced to surrender to the Corpus legions when they came knocking after the Fall. The Corpus had then dragged her family name through the mud and left it in the metaphorical dumpster, leaving her with a deep-ingrained hatred for the corporate collective.

"Normally I'd agree with you, but that clan is one of the most damn effective ones out there." The Vauban depressed a stud on the Dera, ejecting out a cartridge from the side, catching it as it popped out. "I don't like them myself. Too blood-thirsty for my taste and too damn willing to charge head-first into everything."

The VAUBAN examined the cartridge, and satisfied, popped it back into the rifle. Holding it by one of the barrels, he extended a hand towards Ashley. "Zaeed Massaini. Who are you?"

"Ashley..." Ashley said, then wondered if it was a good idea to mention her last name, before deciding he probably couldn't know about the stigma the name Williams had accrued under the cold barrage the Corpus media had subjected it to, "Ashley Williams."

"Really? Williams? Fine family line you've got there. I worked with General Arthur Williams during the conflict on Zephon. Fine man, he was."

"Really?" Ashley was surprised by the fact that the Tenno hadn't stepped away or told her to get away in disgust.

"Yeah. A good man. Bit of a brat though. Wanker looked like the type that wouldn't step onto the battlefield if he could help it. Kid proved me wrong though. Saw him walking amongst the Order of the Sword before and after a battle."

Ashley was taken aback at the way the Tenno so casually referred to her ancestor with such causality. Even referring to the now long-dead general as a child.

"Y'know, at first when I was catching up on history with the C.C.I.N.," the Tenno continued, talking about the Corpus Civil Information Network in its abbreviated form,"I thought it was harsh the way they ruined your great-grandad's name. I wasn't there to see the battle that he couldn't fight, but knowing him, he gave in for the right reasons, no matter what those Blockhead garbage-spewing commentators say."

The Williams scion gaped. No one ever said anything like that. The only thing she had heard from others was how her grandfather was shame and that he should have died fighting instead of having surrendered. "Do you really think that?"

"He had a good reason. What that was, only he knew. But he also realized that sometimes, surrender, no matter the consequences, is the better option."

Ashley was, for the few times in her life, left speechless at the respect with which the Tenno spoke of her ancestor. Gathering up her courage, asked. "What do you think that reason was?"

"Hell if I know kid. Maybe he had something to live for back home or he just didn't feel like dying. Maybe they threatened to bio-bomb him and everything he was defending if he didn't." Zaeed straightened, focusing his attention back forward. "Buck up now rookie. Marshall 's on his way over." Ash turned to see that he was right. Most if not all the assembled Tenno of the clan had disappeared and the Marshal was making his way over to them.

"Tenno Zaeed." Marshal Nicholas gave a brief nod to his fellow Tenno before looking over at Ashley who felt a shiver go down her back, being so close to the mysterious Tenno. "Young one."

Realizing that the Marshal was waiting for a response, Ashley snapped to attention and snapped off a salute, unsure if this was the right protocol, but deciding that a salute was seldom misplaced. "Clan Marshall sir!" Zaeed was much more relaxed, having crossed his arms, plus having his helmet open up so he could see his 'brother' Tenno with his own eyes. "Hi Nicky. So, what's going on?"

"Tenno Zaeed, you and two of my own will be accompanying the bulk of our forces on the primary run, where we will punch a hole to the primary network server. We expect to be surrounded upon arrival, but that is part of the plan. We will set up a defensive perimeter around the server and dig in, transmitting the necessary data to the second wave so that the virus they bear can be configured properly. Your old squad mates, along with some of your forces, young one," the Tenno Marshal said, gesturing to Ashley, "Will sneak in and come through the enemy lines from behind to deliver the virus so that we can disseminate the virus and smite the enemy with their own instruments."

The Clan Marshal stood still, giving Zaeed a careful, eye-over. "If we are going to be working together, you should know I expect nothing less than your full cooperation with my orders. If I tell you to move up, I want you running like the entire Sentient Army is behind you."

Zaeed didn't care much about this he's not going to be talked down to by this crusty old zealot, who, as far as he was concerned, needed to be put into his place. "Listen up Nicky, I'll listen to what you say, if only because we need this to go as smoothly as possible. That clear?"

"Tenno Zaeed," the room temperature felt as though it dropped a few degrees. "You will listen to my orders. If I say jump, you ask how high, is that understood?"

Zaeed ground his teeth, but knew when to fold. "Understood... sir."

With that Nicholas turned on his heel and strode off, every part of him exuding confidence and competence. Zaeed glowered after him. "Irritating old bastard." he mumbled.

**Warframe Effect**

Nathan had rarely seen his crew without Zaeed, and now that he was absent, mingling with those who would make up the first wave, the group felt incomplete. Right now, everyone who was going to be on the mission was broken up into two groups. The first wave was already aboard the Cradle-type Stealth Mobile-Operations Platform that would bring them in of the station of their insertion craft while sitting outside scanning range.

The second wave was on the launch deck, assembling bit by bit. He and Follower were already here, as was Kasumi, who had spent the last standard solar day practicing in the Dojo Obstacle Course, along with both of them. It was a stop-gap measure in response to the Marshall 's original punishment. Rather than run over Mercury's surface, they had been allowed to stay in the Dojo and use the obstacle course for their grueling exercise regimen.

This hadn't made it any easier.

Of course, the two aforementioned were the only ones who did not look worse for the wear.

"So..." Follower said as the various Tenno filed in, some trailing groups of humans in armor that had, by all appearances, been cobbled together from Grineer body armor and Corpus Security Guild Vac-Suits. The word hung in the air like a noose.

"This is it? I was hoping for a group more..."

"I haven't seen Harkness anywhere. Not even in the Armory." Kasumi said, "Usually he at least bothers to make a light pass at me, no matter where we are."

Nathan didn't respond to that. Harkness did that to everyone. With Kasumi it was a sort of knee-jerk response. Harkness knew she was taken, and Nathan had never been able to bring himself to punch the handsome bastard over it.

Of course that didn't mean everyone to Harkness's charisma. "With that guy, who can fathom what he's up to." Follower grumbled. He was among the few that the warrior from Clan Bespin's charm, stunning personality and good looks were ineffective. Follower was a brick wall, and Harkness had eventually realized it, though not before earning himself a gut-punch.

"Can you at least try not to get angry at him?" Kasumi implored.

Follower grumbled and looked away. "I only promise to try."

"Wherever Harkness maybe, I assume you three are ready for the operation?" A third voice said from behind them.

They turned to find Shepard, kitted out in the strange piece-meal armor of the humans Anderson had brought along. He was packing a Lato Vandal and a Braton Vandal, much like the rest of his fellow soldiers. A few had Snipetron Vandals, but they were limited. It was widely held that sniping would not play a huge role in the battle for the Cairn.

Follower was the first to rise. "You're asking US if we're ready?" Follower said, "Commander, we were kicking ass before you were a twinkling in your parent's eyes. Of course we're ready." Marching up the human, Follower stood a full-head taller. "I assume you've been trained with those things?" Though the rest of his weapons were packed away near the infiltration craft, Shepard could clearly see the Soma-type assault rifle with its distinct banana clip in the Tenno's hand.

The rank they had bestowed on the human was largely ceremonial. The humans operated by their own chain of command, and Shepard had been Anderson's right-hand soldier for a while, leading him to assume the rank in lieu of any kind of ceremony that would have come with it if the Order of the Sword had been fully re-founded.

In response to the Tenno's question, Shepard loaded, unloaded and cocked the rifle, demonstrated he DID know where the safety was, then shouldered it.

Follower's helmet was retracted as he watched the human execute the drill, so his smile was easy to spot. Before anything else could happen, Follower slammed the rifle towards the ground, throwing Shepard slightly forward. "Hey, nothing wrong with being trigger happy. Just be careful where you're pointing that thing. It'll keep you from blowing the head off the guy next to you." Despite the firm tone, there was no real malice in his voice.

Shepard recovered swiftly and nodded, then turned the safety back on. At this moment, the door to the very large docking bay opened and in strode a Tenno clad in an ASH frame, with a color scheme dominated by bright grey and a deep royal blue. He had a standard issue helm, with two mandible-like protrusions extruding from the smooth dome that made up the helmet. The trio turned to track the new arrival, just in time to see that he was wearing a Syadana, a Tenno ceremonial mourning garment, a scarf of sorts affixed to his frame. They knew it was Harkness by the color scheme, but the Syadana threw them off.

The garment was generally worn to show that a Tenno was mourning one or more close friends, and only for eight months.

"What in the name of the Orokin?" Despite all his attitude of being a brick wall to Harkness's advances, Follower was the first to approach the, apparently grieving, Tenno. "Brother, Harkness, what has happened?"

The Tenno shook his head as he drew close. "Not right now. I'll tell you on the way to the Cairn. I assume you're all ready?" he said.

"Yes, but-" Kasumi started.

"Good. Let's not hang around." Harkness said. Then he turned and made for his insertion pod, which was being prepped for loading on the Stealth Carrier. Nathan looked after him in shock, as did Follower. That brief, terse conversation was not like Harkness at all. Whatever the Syadana signified, it had been enough to change the cheerful Tenno into a somber personality, at least for a while, and that meant it was really serious. It wasn't often something phased Harkness to the degree they had just witnessed.

"What happened to him?" Follower looked toward either of his fellow Tenno for answers.

They didn't have long to contemplate the issue, because at that point, two of the alien survivors walked into the bay, a turian and that quarian that had been following Atton around.

They were escorted by a BANSHEE, and both were armed.

Nathan glowered. "What are THEY doing here?"

One, the turian, was armed with a Latron and a Furis SMG, whilst the quarian had a basic Strun and Viper pistol.

Follower strode towards the BANSHEE glaring. "Beka, what the hell is this? Aren't these two supposed to be confined to quarters with the rest?" he growled.

The BANSHEE snorted. "If you'd bothered to check with the Marshal you'd know all about this." she growled right back, "These two are coming with us to help. They volunteered."

"Volunteered?" The RHINO spat out the word like it was poison. "We have our hands full enough as it is. We don't need to add babysitting to this list!"

"I've been training them myself these past two days. They want to help, and the quill-head's the best marksman I've seen in long time."

"Like that means a damn!" Follower shouted, "They've never even seen a MOA much less been shot at by one! What the fuck do you expect them to do except get cut down?!"

Nathan put a hand on Follower's armored shoulder. "This mission is going to require fast movement more than it will sniping. The offer is nice, but no thanks." he said coldly.

The BANSHEE took a step forward, glaring daggers at Follower. "This isn't a request. They're here with the Marshal's permission, so stuff it."

"Fine. But they're you're responsibility. Not ours, got it?"

"I never expected any help from you." The BANSHEE growled.

With that the RHINO and the EXCALIBUR turned and stalked off, making for their pods. This day was beginning to look bad...very bad.

**Warframe Effect**

Please Review


	8. Chapter 8

Warframe Effect

Written by Follower38, Neodammarung the Destroyer and Palladius

Beta: Jygglag

A/N: Codex Story to be posted soon on my page with the rest of my stories. Following APUFMKII format. Means codex entry will be posted under a different title.

Sorry about that. Wrong chapter.

Chapter 8

The Cairn was a vast and well-defended base, with a blocky construction reliant on artificial gravity, unlike the Citadel. It had huge power generators and manufacturing areas, labs that stretched for miles.

Through the vastness of the asteroid belt the enormous space station drifted, protected by a networked grid missile platforms, ranging from the basic missile to the powerful MIRV payloads, a networked array of laser cannons and plasma projectors, capable to turning even the strongest of starship hulls into a molten mess, their powerful magnetic field generators ensuring the energized gas would remain cohesive all the way to its target. And of course there were the mass drivers. Simplistic in design, powerful in application. With the generators of the station at its back, the mass driver cannons, ranging from small 105mm shells to truly massive meter long solid tungsten rounds. The outer shell reinforced underneath by the best of Corpus structural engineering. Short of a comet hitting the station, any attacker would be hard-pressed to crack its shell. The Cairn could survive any full-frontal assault, and anything that got inside would be thoroughly trounced by the internal defenses. Two-hundred thousand MOAs of varying types patrolled the halls, with five-thousand active at any given time. Cameras watched every move of the scientists (slaves or otherwise) and their masters.

Plasma turrets were planted on the ceiling at crucial junctions. Every door was equipped with the Laser-Bar defense system.

And it would not be enough to stop the storm that was coming for them.

In fact, the key flaw of the Cairn's design was that it WAS so armed and armored. It had been child's play for the first wave to infiltrate their way into the core of the great machine, up through the engineering sections and into the central core, where the primary server farm was housed in a super-cooled compartment. The designers had done everything to try and make it virtually impossible to enter. This was amusingly ironic, since once the Tenno were inside, it was prodigiously easier for them to keep everyone out. The entire Primary Server Farm was contained in a contained room that was isolated from the rest of the fortress. The only real connections to the room, aside from the electronic connections to the servers were the Cooling Chambers, which constantly cycled liquid oxygen through pipes in the walls server room, keeping the servers operating at an optimal level. And a single door for someone to physically access all the servers.

Stealth was not something the Corpus often had to deal with. The Grineer were not subtle by nature, preferring a 'shock-and-awe' approach to their battles. Overwhelming firepower and numbers was their preferred modus operandi. And it showed, as any battle between the Grineer and any opponent, often left behind smoldering ruins and shattered structures.

Now with the perimeter firmly in place, and Krajowa's forces turning the sole entrance to the server farm into a redoubt with five foot walls of meat and metal, they were fully prepared for the arrival of the second wave and the virus they bore. "Concentrate your fire. Controlled bursts. I don't want any more collateral damage than is necessary understood?" A chorus of yes sir was his response from his Tenno and several of the humans also watching the door. Nicholas slammed back the charging handle of his modified Boltor, named Dissent. "Tenno Zaeed, is the system prepared for second wave's arrival?" Behind the VOLT, Zaeed and his fellow hackers were surrounded by the dissected servers and their own portable terminals linked to the system.

"Slicing security protocols as fast as inhumanly possible, sir. So long as we hold the line, it'll be nice and warm when they get here!" Zaeed had to shout over the howls and screeches of MOA units and the modified cyber-voicebox shrieks of the Security Guild troopers the various defending Tenno and humans were cutting down as fast as they appeared.

"How many of these Blockhead bastards are there?" Krajowa's FROST, Rin, shouted over his helm comm. The noise was deafening, making even radio communication difficult. Tenno helms let no sound out without external speakers, but they did let it in, meaning the Tenno had to raise their voices to be heard on the radio.

"Not enough. Never enough for all the brothers and sisters we have lost." Korina, Krajowa's BANSHEE, shouted while she blasted another Railgun-Variant MOA to pieces with her Modified Grineer Hek quad-barreled shotgun.

Nicholas nailed three troopers to the nearby wall in a shower of crimson and bolts, then executed a perfect Shock technique, unleashing a bolt of electricity that chained off the cooling bodies and onto the MOAs that were rushing in to replace them, shorting out their shields. 'Shame.' He thought. 'Were it not for our objectives, this would be so much easier.' As a VOLT he had access to the powerful technique, Overload. Which would release enough energy to fry every living and machine within range.

Of course, that wasn't the limit of his abilities. Overload was just the deadliest of his basic techniques. If he and his soldiers had been allowed to supercharge their frames prior to battle, as was sometimes done when entering extended combat, he could have dished out an even wider and more lethal array of electrical powers.

A brief wisp of energy emanated from the dark scythe the warlord possessed, seeping through the layers of the Warframe. Drawing in breath, he roared. "Fight with me Tenno! Stand your ground against the Heathens! Have no fear! The Orokin have gifted their strength to us!" Nicholas shouted.

Together his clanmates roared a battlecry only they could hear. "AT THE BREAK OF DAWN'S LIGHT, THE FAITHFUL WILL ASCEND!"

**Warframe Effect**

Meanwhile, on the far side of the station, somewhere above the manufacturing decks, in the MOA charging area, the second wave was well on its way. Kasumi was doing her best to try and keep track of where they were for the group, but the place was massive, and they had to keep pausing to eliminate patrols or side-step forces on the move to reinforce the computer core.

Shepard was starting to feel the strain of the constant running through the vents and the corridors as were the rest of the non-Tenno in the group. "How much further to the objective?" He was still keeping pace but was starting to breathe heavily from the virtually non-stop run.

"Close." Nathan answered, being one of the Tenno who was staying towards the back with the other humans.

"How close?" Jacob tightened his grip on his gun. "I'm getting tired of all this running around.

Coming around a corner, they found themselves running headfirst into a group of Corpus Crewmen. Armed Crewmen. "Contact!" Shepard leaned back, bringing his Braton Vandal to ready.

Before anyone else could react, the entire group of Corpus was quickly slaughtered by the Tenno in a display of blades and butchery before any could react and raise an alarm.

Follower tensed his muscles, the enormous Gram a challenge even with the prodigious reserve of strength granted to him by his Warframe. To a Tenno the swing seemed sluggish and ponderous; to any mortal observer he didn't even appear to move, a sheen of blood suddenly materializing on the blade of his weapon as he slung it on his back at a more leisurely pace and three Crewmen fell backwards, each one separated neatly in two at the waist. The passage of the weapon through their bodies spattered streamers of red across the walls as it cut through flesh, bone and implants

Kasumi drew off a tiny fraction of her Warframe's energy reserves, amplifying her mental powers. Casting Chaos, the Corpus and their proxies were overwhelmed as their vision and optics were filled with false enemies and nightmares. Wasting no time, her wrist flicked out and a spinning triskelion of alloy and ceramic flew through the air, careening off walls and ceilings as it briefly turned the corridor into a lethal one blade razor storm. Kasumi couldn't resist affectionately patting the weapon as she returned it to her belt, already dismissing the fist-sized chunks of Corpus proxy on the ground.

As a Corpus crewman attempted to bring his weapon to bear Nathan's reflexes kicked in, slowing time for him to the point where the crewman may as well be a statue. He leaped forward, bringing his dark sword over his head and down, entering the crewman's throat and emerging out of the small of his back. He finished off the pinioned individual with a sharp sideways dagger stab through the head, ripping both blades out in a splash of viscera. If not for his instructions to maintain silence during combat he would have cranked out a cheesy one liner - as it was he contented himself with a satisfied nod as he cased around for another target.

He zeroed in to another target, this one an orange plated Shockwave MOA that was midway through raising its leg for a stomp attack. Before he could attack, a Plasma Sword appeared from thin air, the Tenno holding it cleaving off the upraised leg, leaving the MOA tottering almost comically on its one remaining appendage before Harkness forwent his blade to seize the robot and tear its CPU out with his bare hands, crushing the chip in an armoured gauntlet. The Harkness Nathan knew would have paused for a moment and struck a pose by his kill - the Ash frame before him merely turned to find something else to destroy, synanda fluttering behind him. Beneath his helmet Nathan raised an eyebrow. He never thought he would say this, but he wanted the old Harkness back.

Twin blades glittered through the air, the Corpus crewman caught completely by surprise. She had just long enough to stare at the fountains of arterial blood pumping out of the severed stumps of her arms in dumb disbelief before Beka stepped around her, picking up the woman's Lanka and slinging it on her back beside her own rifle as she flicked out one of her Zoren axes almost contemptuously, splitting open the boxy helmet and the forehead beneath.

As the last of the bodies fell, the humans with the Tenno gaped at the speed and skill the slaughter had occurred. Normally for the ragtag resistance fighters, an encounter like this would dissolve into a sometimes hour long firefight. Each of the Tenno flicked off the gore and oil still dripping from their weapons before slotting them back in their original place. Nathan drew his Boltor before making a handsign, "Move out."

Shepard nodded and signaled to the rest of the other non-Tenno. "Form-up, follow my lead." On his HUD, several blips of acknowledgement lit up in the corner. A gift from the Lotus, Shepard could speak freely with the others without having to worry about anyone overhearing them.

The second team continued moving down the once polished and high-tech corridors of the Corpus fortress, though virtually everywhere path they took could been signs of a once hard-fought gun battle. Shell casings and spent energy cells littered the floors. Bullet holes, scorch marks and plasma burns marred the walls. The leftovers of a previous assault, most likely by Grineer forces, and a total failure.

And of course, the odd corpse or shattered MOA lying in the middle of the rooms, their sanitization and cleansing protocols having not engaged for one reason or another. With each passing corpse, the humans grew tenser. Their nerves becoming more and more frayed. The Tenno recognized this, and silently communicated with each other through subtly gestures.

Deciding to take one for the team, Follower pulled back from the front and let Nathan take his place; placing himself directly in front of the human squad.

"All of you just relax. You're getting tense. The last thing we need right now is a hair-trigger to go off." The baritone voice of the RHINO drew their attention but amazingly did not break their stride.

"Fully understood, sir. It's just the constant pauses. How much further do we have to go?" Ashley said.

"Yeah, I mean, we're through what passes for the barracks." Jacob agreed, swiveling to check a corridor as they passed by. "Shouldn't we be seeing a bigger enemy presence?"

"He's got a fair point." Nathan said. "Shouldn't there be more Blockheads around?"

"Not if the others are doing their jobs. There are other squads tasked with drawing as much attention to themselves for as long as possible." Beka added. "But still, we should have found at least another squad or three."

Kasumi turned back to the rest of the group, examining the map of the facility inside her helmet. "We're coming up on the part of the complex where the test-subjects are stored and labs are located. Beyond that is the slave quarters. They keep their work and workers close together, and so they'll probably have more guards to make sure the scientists don't get any funny ideas while the siege is going on."

"That means watch your fire and check your targets. Make sure that they actually are hostiles before you fire."

There came a growl from Harkness' direction.

"Goddamn, gut-sucking intestinal parasite-bastards." he hissed. Nathan turned back to him, as did several of the humans.

"What was that?" he asked. Harkness paused while they swept an area for enemies and disabled the cameras.

Finally he answered.

"I've spent some time out there among the oppressed masses building our spy network." he said, "I've seen firsthand what the Corpus are and what they can do.

Believe me when I say these soldiers don't deserve pity."

"That still doesn't explain your anger Harkness. We are Tenno, and we expect to have to purge these sorts of evils. Whatever it is, keep it in check. I don't want any civilian casualties, you hear me?" Nathan ordered.

"You misunderstand me." Harkness said, then put a bullet through another camera before continuing, "I have nothing but pity for the poor souls locked up here. It's their keepers and masters that I want to skin alive."

"And you are close into entering the Rage." Follower muttered under his breath, low enough that no one but the other Tenno heard him."

Kasumi was the one who gave the compassionate response. "Alright Harkness. You've been brooding about that Syadana around your neck ever since we saw you again at the Dojo. What exactly happened?" she asked.

"What, you want the whole story right now?" Harkness asked, half incredulous, "We're in the middle of a mission!"

"And we can't have you going loose cannon on us. Tell us."

There was an unpleasant pause, before Harkness sighed and holstered the Twin Vasto revolvers he was carrying. Then, when he was sure no one was nearby, he spoke.

"About a year and a half ago, I was out setting up our spy network, making contacts, charming locals..." Harkness began, giving a weak chuckle at the equally weak humor, "I met a couple, a guy named Diego Sanchez and his Zariin mate, Seeth Pix. They were...well, they were kind of couple that makes all the others jealous. They had a perfect relationship, and what's more they were more than willing to support the cause. They pledged themselves to serve as a safe-house for me when I might need it." Harkness laced his fingers together as if preparing to pray, then continued. "Three months after I met them, I made an enemy in the Corpus. His name is Doctor Scyler Murkhoff, and he is certifiably insane. He delights in causing suffering to others, and the Corpus not only keep him around, but pander to his whims, because he's one of the great minds behind their indoctrination techniques. I blew up a lab of his where he was experimenting on Transgenics and Uplifted beings, and he set his sights on me in return. I don't know how he tracked me back to the safe house, but when he did, he didn't come at us head on. That would've been too quick for him."

As Harkness continued, his voice began to break. "Scyler kidnapped Seeth's sister, Natua Plasia, and after he murdered her husband, drove her insane. He set her loose on Seeth and Diego, leading to her murdering Seeth and attempting to do the same to Diego. He managed to escape and kill Natua, but Scyler used his influence to get a hold of Diego in the ensuing trial and get his corporate masters to turn Diego over to him as a slave instead of having him executed." There was a long, terrible silence as the horror of the Tenno's words sank in. "He spent six months torturing Diego, abusing him physically, verbally, sexually, psychologically...by the time I found him...he had committed suicide." Harkness finished.

The Tenno around him were stunned, before emphasizing with their brother Tenno. They had all lost many a comrade to the bastard Corpus, but not like this. Not like Harkness. But none of them could offer any real words of comfort. Just hollow sympathies and empty promises.

"And Scyler?" Follower finally asked.

"He got away. Last I heard, he was being moved here to the Cairn. That's why I need to get this mission over with. So I can find that twisted...so I can find him and make him pay."

The others nodded, fully understanding his hate and anger, and all too willing to help him find this bastard doctor for his that is, except for Follower. The RHINO gripped the ASH frame by the shoulder. "Brother, I understand your pain and your hate. I have lost much like you, and my rage burned for days. But do not let yours consume you."

The Ash-clad warrior clenched his gauntleted hands into fists. "Tell me...please tell me what you have lost that could possibly compare to seeing such love destroyed such a vicious way? Please tell me, because I'm just dying to know." he hissed through clenched teeth.

In response, Follower pulled a chain from his armor. A chain with Warframe fragments. "This, is all that remains of four of our brothers and sisters. Their deaths are the fault of mine and mine alone. And that is something I must carry with me till the end of my days. Knowing that four of our number are dead, and I was the cause.

Nathan, Kasumi, this was before you had been found and awakened so you will not know of this. I and two others, a FROST and a VAUBAN, had been tasked to a Tower within the Void. To protect our sleeping Tenno until we were relieved." His voice dropped to a hush.

"We failed. Wave after wave of the Corrupted bore down upon us. And by scores did they fall. I do not know how many we killed but I am certain it was in the thousands."

"Wait, I don't understand. If you failed, and the others are dead. How did you survive?" Beka asked. She was surprised when Follower snorted in disgust.

"How else would I survive? Like a rat, hiding amongst the dead and the dying. The only saving grace is that it was not my own volition. I saw Hank, the VAUBAN, destroyed by the Drones of the Corrupted. Their lasers slicing through his body until it was naught but ash. A merciful death, as quick and painless as any of us can hope. Richard, the FROST, was torn apart by Infested Ancients under the control of the Neural Sentry. I can still hear his screams as they grabbed him by his limbs and pulled until he was ripped apart."

"As for myself, I was struck in the side by the fists of the Corrupted Grineer. Slamming into a wall and knocked near unconscious after I saw Richard sheared apart. Bodies fell upon me, and the last thing I heard before darkness took me, was the Tenno within screaming. Being ripped from the pods before being slaughtered." Follower punched the wall, causing a slight tremor. "They were our brothers and sisters! They belonged with us! Why did they try to stop us! Why did they kill them! Until we came to bring them home, the sentry left them alone. And even then, they did not try to kill those within. Only once we were to leave did they try and kill us all."

Harkness seemed to lose some of his tension. His hands unclenched.

"I have suffered defeat, and known shame, just as you." Follower finished, "Don't cling to your rage. If you let it master you...it will destroy you, as it almost did me. I tried again and again to return to that tower, and when I was denied, I almost went by myself, which would have ensured my death. Only my Clan and their need for me drew me back from the brink."

Don't lose yourself to the Rage brother. You may not like what comes after. I did not."

Slowly, Harkness nodded and bowed his head. Follower squeezed his shoulder as a sign of friendship. "Together we are strong. And together, we will focus our rage, YOUR rage, to the end of our enemies. But never forget that it is only together that we can do this. Having to hold onto our hope and discipline in the face of evil is part of what makes us Tenno." He released Harkness' shoulder. "And as Tenno, we do our duty, and deliver justice."

At that moment, an alarm began to sound. A feminine voice with a synthesized tone began to recite warnings and alerts in the pseudo-latin trade language of the Corpus.

Follower motioned with his hands again, all business once more. "Stealth has been compromised. Move fast. Go loud."

"Sobrii! Intrusionem deprehensa in ponte quadraginta quinque! Explicandam MOAs corrigere situ!" boomed the voice. Immediately, the sound of tromping feet and servos began to grow from behind and to the group's left. Follower pointed ahead. "Kasumi, take us to the labs. From there, we go through crew-quarters and up three levels to the Server Farm, correct?" he asked. The Nyx-clad Tenno nodded. Follower returned the gesture. "Then let's move."

**Warframe Effect**

Garrus did his best to keep up with the humans as they picked up the pace. The sound of the robotic walkers and helmeted crewmen charging in behind was a powerful motivator. He heard one of the humans yell, "C'mon legs; move! Don't fail me now!"

Garrus looked over his shoulder in time to see a troupe of the Security Guild soldiers emerge from a side corridor, look around, and then begin a moving gun-barrage with their strange plasma rifles that reminded him in shape of a Mass Relays. He was certain he felt the quills on top of his head crisp a little as a blue-white bolt of energy sailed past. After fighting them for what seemed like hours, Garrus had decided he hated these Corpus almost as much as the Grineer, in chief because he had to keep re-directing his aim for body shots. Those rectangular helmets of theirs were all but impenetrable to his Latron rounds, a fact that caused him much chagrin.

Tali though, seemed to be having the time of her life with the walking cannons, or MOAs as he heard them be called. Zapping one, two, and sometimes three at a time: either frying their systems entirely, causing them to collapse, broken, or spark before turning against their allies. The ones with the orange paint job seemed to be the most powerful. Raising a single leg before slamming it down and causing a visible shockwave that threw back any non-ally.

She even giggled a few times, assumedly from all the new technology she was allowed to tamper and even destroy with absolute impunity. "Least one of us is enjoying ourselves." Garrus muttered. He saw more than one Tenno getting flipped on their back from the shockwave of the orange MOAs.

This was all between bouts of running, though. They ran up ramps, down stairs through hallways and large rooms where the MOAs were being moved on rails that ran through the ceiling, calling up memories of a case Garrus had once undertaken involving LOKI mechs, which had in turn resulted in his visiting a factory owned by the company. The robots dangled overhead like corpses on meat hooks, being dragged about as needed. They crossed one room, then went down some stairs in the middle, taking a left turn and heading down a further flight. Garrus' legs were complaining but aches were preferable to plasma burns. He felt something seize him by the neck ridge on his back, and haul him around. Right behind him was a Security Guild trooper with fist upraised to punch his lights out.

There was a snick sound and a spray of red blood spattered over Garrus as a wedge-shaped blade exploded from the soldier's chest, just under the sternum, then was yanked back out. A new hand grabbed him and turned him back around, then gave him a push, telling him to keep running. He looked over his shoulder and saw the Excalibur-clad Tenno, Nathan, wielding two blades like the one that had killed the soldier, one long and one short, spinning them in his grip as he danced back and forth, kicking, stabbing, parrying, slicing while a dozen soldiers and MOAs closed in.

Garrus didn't refuse. In a situation like this, were it was virtually hand-to-hand combat, he was useless here. Oh sure he knew how to fight hand to hand, but that was against known species, not these new ones, and especially not ones with such ridiculous armor.

Just when it looked like the Tenno would be buried, he raised one sword up and Garrus, remembering the same movement from the Tenno that had knocked him down during the riot on Divine Hope, turned away and shielded his eyes.

Even through his shielded eyes, the world turned as bright as day.

There was a flash like a nuclear warhead, and he heard the soldiers and the MOAs wail in surprise. He turned back, blinking to clear his eyes and saw the enemy troops staggering back, grasping at the cyan slits in their helmets while the MOAs stumbled about, equally blinded. Their helmets doing nothing to dampen the flare and the retinal optics of the MOAs overloaded.

Then Nathan rushed at him and gave him another push. "MOVE!" he shouted over Garrus' helmet radio.

He ran as fast as his legs could carry him and with Nathan at his back, dived through the door at the bottom of the steps, which had begun to close, with Nathan close behind. The massive steel aperture clanked shut and he heard heavy lockout systems engaging. He struggled back to his feet, while Nathan simply executed a handspring into a standing position.

"That'll hold them for now. But not forever." came the voice of his Banshee recruiter, Beka over his helmet radio. He'd noticed that the Warframes the Tenno wore prevented them from communicating with sound except through radio. It was an intimidating feature, making them silent warriors who appeared to coordinate with supernatural skill, unless you could hear their comm. frequency.

"Yeah, but not for long. They're not dumb enough to not have some sort of backup systems."

Garrus rolled his shoulders, feeling sore. Turians weren't very bendy like other races. The dive had been a bit painful. He looked around and saw that no one was missing from the group. In light of the fact that until today, these three disparate groups, made of himself and Tali, the humans and the Tenno respectively, had never worked together, their survival was a testament to their efficiency...or luck.

If it was the latter, he hoped they didn't run out any time soon. That and ammo.

"Now what?" he asked. This earned him a look from a few of the humans, but only Beka's attention from among the Tenno.

"Now we go left and down some steps into the nearest reception area. We're right outside the lab sector, so there'll a security checkpoint."

"Wait, how can you be so calm about this?" It was maddening. Despite everything they encountered, the only reason the Tenno seemed flustered at all was from protecting their more vulnerable allies. "This is crazy. Some of us are running low on ammo and that was just encountering a few patrols! And who knows just how many more we have to go through. Just how are you so calm?!"

"We are soldiers. We know fear, only a fool would not feel it but it has no hold over us." the Rhino-clad Tenno said, and before Garrus could even try to call Varren-shit, he continued, "Besides, it's a security checkpoint. Once we clear it out, we can loot it. You'll have all the ammo you need."

Garrus rolled his eyes and decided to confide in the only other being on the squad he could really relate to right now: the quarian.

He meandered over to her as she reloaded and tried to strike up a conversation. "Please tell me I'm not the only one that's scared for his life right now?"

The quarian shrugged. "When you live a life like the ones we have on the Flotilla, you get used to being scared. But I know what you mean. They don't seem the least concerned that we're in the middle of a space station nearly as big as the Citadel and surrounded by things that want to kill us." She smiled under her helmet. "But I won't deny. This station has so much advanced technology… It's hard to comprehend really."

"How so?" he asked.

The quarian put her hands on her hips and gestured to the door they had just come through. "Well for starters, those helmets the soldiers are wearing must be made of something really, really tough. I shot one of them in the head three times and it didn't even dent it."

"Just imagine if I could the means to produce that sort of material to my people. We might never have to worry about suit breaches again; our marines would actually have real armor. Or even our ships!" She went on a tirade as she kept dreaming and listing off the potential uses of the, in her eyes, new super material.

Garrus couldn't help but smile at the young woman's enthusiasm. The sort of innocence and joy one only finds in the young. Not that he was old himself mind you, but his time in C-Sec made him feel as like he was old as his father sometimes. "If we get back home, I'll do my best to make sure that happens. My father's a SpecTRe, he could pull some favors I would think."

The quarian did a double take. "What!?" she burst out, "Your father's a SpecTRe?! Then what are you doing out here on this mission!?"

Garrus flinched. "I...sort of asked for this assignment."

The quarian glowered at him, and he could see confusion mixed with a bit of anger on her face. "Your father isn't that SpecTRe who's been leading this voyage, is he?" she asked suspiciously.

"What!? No! Spirits, NO!" Garrus said, caught off guard, "My father is Flavus Vakarian! SpecTRe Arterius is anything BUT a relative of mine!"

Tali eyed him with suspcion, her glowing eyes narrowing behind her helmet. "Uh huh. Sure. You turians are all the same..."

Before Garrus could offer a retort or try and respond to the quarian's cold shoulder, there was a shout from down the corridor where the Tenno had said they should be headed. It was an actual shout, like the voices of normal humans and not the cybernetically altered vocal cords of the Corpus soldiers, the sounds of which followed the shout mixed with plasma blasts.

Instantly the Tenno perked up and Beka rushed around the corner on the left and down the steps beyond. "Beka, wait!" shouted Kasumi over the headsets of her fellow Tenno, but the Tenno did not listen, prompting the rest of the squad to rush after her. Garrus, left with little choice, pursued the group down the steps, which came out onto a large open chamber with a design similar to the lobby of some major business buildings he had once been inside. There were several desks or workstations with computer consoles built into them. Arrayed in a row across the meridian of the room. All around the upper level of the room was a gantry where soldiers could look down on the workers and they checked in for work, sliding between the stations in lines representing shifts.

The room was virtually empty, but on the far side from which Garrus had entered, one of the several doors was open, and through it was running a short human in a green jumpsuit, his hands cuffed behind his back by the way he was moving. Behind him were three Security Guild soldiers, who were taking up firing positions. Garrus could see they had gone down on their knees or were using the side of the doorway as cover, and by any odds, the fleeing human would be dead before he got half-way across the room...or rather, he would have if it had been anyone but a Tenno he was counting on to save him, which he clearly was, running with head down towards the armored warriors as fast as he could.

There was a *SCHWIP* sound from among the Tenno and a sudden puff of smoke. Then in a flash, the Tenno called Harkness...APPEARED right behind the soldiers as they fired. They barely got of three shots each before the Tenno extended two deadly knives from his wrists and slammed one each into the visors of the soldiers on either side of him, while hopping up to wrap his legs around the head of the soldier who was taking a kneeling position in front of him. The Crewmen at his sides were no match for the blades, which punched right through the sole opening in their helms and into their skulls, while the kneeling soldier fell back firing wildly under the weight of the Tenno, who yanked his blades free and then punched them into the area under the crewman's armpits, clearly hitting arteries in a gush of crimson.

Then with a graceful flip, he launched himself off the dying soldier and back-flipped back to his feet.

Garrus' jaw dropped. The Tenno had just TELEPORTED. It was no biotic charge, he had seen such a thing before, and what had just happened wasn't it.

Then his gaze was drawn to the human, who had made a mad dive towards his rescuers and in doing so avoided the shots of his pursuers...mostly. One had taken him in the upper right arm and he was rolling on the ground, shouting with pain. Immediately the humans and Tenno crowded around him, and Garrus had to get closer to get a good look at him.

"Don't worry, you're safe. I've got first-aid you'll be fine!" the dark-skinned human, Jacob said.

He was digging through his pack and extracting some bandages and medical equipment, with the help of the female human, Ashley. "What's your name son? What's your name?"

The human, who was short, probably only a meter and a half tall, short for his species as far as Garrus could tell, had dirty blonde fur on his head that appeared to have been teased into a mess of spikes with some sort of slick beauty product, given its stiffness. He looked pale, somewhat emaciated, undernourished and it turned out he had bruises in several places as the two soldiers cut away the arm of his jumpsuit.

"Harper." he gasped, and gritted his teeth, clenching his eyes shut, "Seamus Harper."

"What!?" This came from Harkness, who was striding back over, and now pushed his way through the crowd around the human to loom over him. "What the HELL are you doing here, boy!?"

"Hey boss. Surprise to see you here." Harkness pulled the human to his feet, and none too gently about it either. "Hey! Ow, easy boss. I know you like me but be gentle huh?"

"Cut the jokes, Seamus, what are you doing here in ten words or less or I swear I will turn you over to the crewmen! I told you to stay put on Alator where you could help!"

"Hey come on boss! You expected me to stay on that dustball of a planet?" He smiled but it quickly faded.

"Put him down, Harkness!" Nathan barked. Slowly, the Tenno lowered him back to the deck to be cared for by the surprised humans. Then he took one step back and squatted down to maintain 'eye contact'.

"Alright, what are you doing here?" he said in a calmer voice, though it was clear he was channeling his anger.

"Sorry boss. For once I was going to do what you told me to, but. Well, seems the universe just hates on me. The Corpus showed up a while after you left. They just took over."

"Th-they made a raid on Alator a few weeks back. They were looking for people to bring

here, and test subjects. They came at night and grabbed me and a few of the others...including Dawn. I've been doing my best to work up an escape plan, but until you guys showed up, I've been running out of participants."

"What the hell do you mean by 'running out'?"

"The test subjects...a lot of them don't survive past three weeks of use. But they've been taking more than usual. There's some guy, he shows up and picks out some of them and the guards drag them off. They don't show up in testing later on, but the soldiers...they always come back. They haven't taken many of the crew you left me with, but they took Dawn five hours ago. I haven't seen her since."

There was a cold pause before Harkness responded. "This 'guy'...what does he look like?"

"He's about average height, shifty eyes, nasty little smile, cybernetic eyes."

"Then we need to hurry if we're going to save the people he took..." Harkness said, standing up quickly, "And double time. If we aren't fast...there may be nothing left to save."

**Warframe Effect**

Sergeant Nef Anyo had gotten to where he was through influence rather than money, an unusual path to follow in the Corpus system. He knew the dirty secrets, and had the friends to keep himself from 'disappearing'. It was a fate all too common for those that the 'Privileged', the upper ruling class of the Corpus, who lived in eternal luxury, found offensive to their worldview. His knowledge however, kept him afloat and powerful, He was charged with administration of the Solar Rails in the region of Mars. Despite his low rank, and he had major pull over the research and development labs around Neptune, what with him being the chief supplier of sleeping Tenno.

His enhanced physical structure and personal weapons and armor were a testament to the height of his position. Few, if any, barring those working in the Outer Terminus, could match him any sort of fight.

And as if that weren't enough, he had inside knowledge about what went on in the labs on Neptune , where it was said a technological boom was imminent. He had made great investments in the robotics division and it was quite likely we would be well rewarded for his bets. Of course, for all his many manifold powers, there were some downsides to his position.

One of these was management trips all over the system to see to it that things were going the way they should...and right now...they were definitely not.

Tenno had breached the Cairn.

How didn't matter. What did matter was that he needed to secure the scientists in the pay of the Collective, and liquidate the rest.

Possibly they were being rescued, but it was equally possible the Tenno were killing them too. You never could tell with the Betrayers. After all, they were the monsters in the darkness. And the Collective would purge them. However long it might take.

His two bodyguards walked to either side of him, big, heavy brutes made out of modified Techs. Anyo had personally overseen their induction and brainwashing process, determined that the men he entrusted his personal security to be only the best the Corpus Collective could produce. Each one was worth almost half a ton of rubedo in training programs and cybernetic implants. They packed improved Supras, the thick triple barrels of the plasma miniguns sweeping each room before their wielders permitted their commander to enter, leaving a faint trail of ozone in their wake. Anyo strode down the corridor in a manner akin to a businessman walking through the corridors of his office, the impression that his guards were invisible to him only broken by his constant pauses to allow them to check each corner for lurking threats.

"Corporal Sykes, what's the count on liquidation?" he asked.

A thin, reedy voice answered over the comm. "I-I...I'm sorry sir but at present we haven't been able to carry out any liquidation efforts. The personnel listed for elimination keep vanishing. We suspect there may be Betrayers equipped with Ghost Sentinels spiriting them away before we can arrive. I'd like to request clearance to try for a thermal imaging team-" he began, but Anyo cut him off. He knew the Tenno better than most.

"Don't bother. If it is Ghost Sentinels, thermal imaging won't be effective."

"Then, what are your orders sir?"

He and his guards took a turn to the left and his helmet's air filters noted a rise in contaminants. The area he was approaching was laced with a stench of blood and various vile toxins. Anyo grimaced. He had been sent here to remove Doctor Scyler and bring him back to his base on Mars. That was his primary objective. "Keep looking. Do your best to terminate as many people on that list as you can. Forget about the rest and focus on evacutaing the employees. I want the assets out of there. We cannot afford to lose some of them."

The usual Corpus forces assigned to the base were supplemented by sections of men from the Corpus Elite Guard, the black suited individuals carrying advanced weaponry and moving with a calm professionalism that left the security in awe. Those were warriors that could take down a Betrayer outnumbering the target merely ten to one - a feat unheard of among the vast majority of their military branch.

As the purge commenced, Anyo could immediately tell by ear which sections fell to which forces. Those left for the security regulars echoed with the screams of the individuals on the termination list. Those taken care of by his own guard ... they didn't have time to.

He adjusted his helmet's audio receptors with a chin-toggle as the sound of a piercing scream came down the corridor. Together, he and his guards descended some stairs, reaching a door sealed by security lockouts. Murkhoff had apparently locked himself into his private areas to enjoy some fun with his 'guests' as they were labeled on the forms, thinking to ride out the intrusion in comfort and isolation.

Anyo nodded to one of his bodyguards. "Dama, open the door." The man named Dama drew his Spectra pistol, the focused fusion beam quickly melting through the reinforced ceramic blast door. Murkhoff had been working on some delicate equipment and the mere thought of damaging such valuable items was anathema to Anyo, who was conditioned so intensely that he felt physical pain at any loss of profit.

Thankfully though, the Elite Guardsmen showed the justification for his status. Carefully using the beam pistol to carefully cut the security locks of the door, cutting only the locks themselves and nothing behind. A few drips of molten metal hit the floor when he finished and backed away but when Anyo approached, it opened with no issue. All three men drew their Prova shock rods as they entered the room.

Beyond the door, the decoration changed markedly from the sterile Corpus rectangular design to a style more fit for the study of a gentleman on ancient Earth, circa 1800 B.C. possibly. There was advanced technology present, but there was wood, actual WOOD paneling on the walls and floral carpeting. In the center of the entrance room, was a desk, currently host to holographic screens and various interfaces. The next piercing scream came from beyond the desk, through the door at the back, and a slightly irritated voice saying "Y'know, I always wondered if you Helavoleum actually used those things for anything.", followed by a pause and a demented chuckle. Anyo waved one hand to each of his guards and motioned for them to secure the room while he went to speak to the good doctor.

Anyo held his Prova out in front of him and ensured his shield was at maximum strength before he pushed open the hinged door to the bedchamber. He didn't trust Murkhoff not to try something. He was right. As he entered the chamber, a volley of rounds from a Dera ricocheted off his shield. The rounds barely diminished his shield however, the good doctor not trained with a rifle. "Please put that down, Mr. Murkhoff. You're risking the equipment." The only response was another poorly aimed flurry of rounds. Sighing, Anyo crossed the room in three strides, knocking the rifle out of his opponent's hands and spinning him round in the same motion, tagging the short man between the shoulder blades. Electricity crackled as the doctor fell to his knees, every muscle in his body tensing up as an ungodly amount of electricity flowed through his body. Anyo tutted as he swept the room with his helmet's sensor suite, checking for any other threats. His executive override quickly disarmed the MOA concealed in the wardrobe. "Come now, Mr. Murkhoff. That was never going to work."

The mad man shuddered on the floor with a smile on his face that was off-putting even for Anyo. He was GIGGLING, shuddering laughter emerging from his half-electrocuted form which spasmed with little jerks as the Prova's touch wore off. "That..." he said, getting back to his feet with a twitch and a jerk, "tickled." Anyo rolled his eyes. "Doctor, I'm here to relocate you, by order of the Honorable Board of Exalted Directors. Now, are you going to give me further trouble, or are you going to come quietly, like your contract stipulates?" he growled. The man's face was a mask of displeasure. "But I've only just started with this one!" he whined, gesturing at the body tied to the bed at six points. Anyo glanced down at the...well, technically Helavoleum weren't fully women, but the Transgenic sub-species was still very feminine in shape and form. She probably stood about five-foot eleven, not incredibly tall, but about average height for her species, owing to compressed muscle mass.

Her skin was mixed with a carapace of emerald and blue, and by the looks of things, it had been sliced open in places. On one of her four arms was a cut that stretched from elbow to wrist, with cords running into it. Taking a minor act of bravery, Anyo peered closer and saw that the scientist had been REMOVING certain muscles, while going to a great deal of trouble to keep her alive. He'd slashed the honey-sacks that stood in for breasts on her chest and by the looks of what was lying on the ichor-soaked pillow, he'd just snipped off both of her long, majestic antennae with an industrial bolt cutter. He then looked over to the small table set up next to the bed, then did a double take, because sitting on it was a PLATE with a fork and knife, stained with black ichor. He looked over at the mad doctor, who, unable to see Anyo's expression behind his helm, grinned. "Oh that." he chuckled, following Anyo's gaze to the blood-soaked plate, "I've never tried insect. Had a Zariin a few months back, but that one was already dead. This way though...it's FRESH."

Anyo held back the vile that tried to rise in his throat. He had known of the doctor's, well to put it plainly, incredibly disturbed mind. But he never knew of just how far it went. Least not until now.

Choking back his gorge, he turned his eye to the doctor. "Doctor, we are on a time-table. If it means so much to you, I'll find a replacement on Mars." he grumbled. The psychopath looked crestfallen, but bowed his head like a beaten dog and nodded. Anyo kept his eye on him. Right now, if the Doctor proved to be more trouble than he was worth, Anyo was inclined to take his Prova and stick it in a place on Scyler where the sun did not shine, but then realized the maniac would probably ENJOY that, and again had to choke back vomit.

"I'll pack." he finally said, and turned to fetch his things. Anyo set his comm to private and contacted his bodyguards. "If he tries anything else... shoot him. And if it comes to that, he was dead when we found him, and that's all anyone needs to know." he hissed. The two towering techs nodded. Anyo didn't worry about the two ratting him out. They were loyal to the cause, and more importantly, loyal to him. It paid sometimes, to have gained a few favors rather than just blackmailing someone. After all, blackmail only goes so far. Loyalty? That'll go far. Very far.

Anyo strode over to the Helavoleum, who was making bubbling noises half-way between sobbing and choking. He considered putting her out of her misery, but decided to let the Betrayers do that for him. They were nothing if not sentimental like that.

**Warframe Effect**

Tenno. A new species/race encountered beyond the Verge relay. An enigmatic race of warriors that- Liara shook her head as she deleted the one line before starting again, laying back against the chair in her room again. She shook her head. Where did she even begin trying to describe these people?

She thought back, trying to organize the information she had been supplied with by the computer interface she had been allowed. Even with how long lived her species was, she doubted that, alone, she would finish compiling the codex for the Verge races, let alone everything else. She had tried to find other points to start with aside from the Tenno, but there was always something that made her switch to another topic. First she tried the simplest, the history of the Origin System, as everyone that she had meet had called the system. It had shocked her when she had seen just how much there was, literally thousands upon thousands of years of history, and that was_pre-spaceflight_. But the problem was not the volume, rather, a lack of it for a certain era. So much of the Orokin Empire had been lost, and the entire era of its collapse was missing. Then of course she had tried to chronicle the current the conflict, but there were so many differing opinions, it was difficult to know where to even start.

"Goddess. These people. They had were in a Golden Age and in the blink of an eye… gone." She couldn't help but feel pity for these people. Despite how advanced they were compared to many of the Citadel races, one couldn't help but feel sorry for how much they lost. "I wish we could-AH!" She spun around in her chair as someone grabbed her, ready to deck whoever tried to take her down. Before it could land, her fist was caught mid-throw.

"Blood pressure appears to be elevated well above normal levels. What have I interrupted, Doctor T'Soni?" It was the salarian, Doctor Solus.

He was giving her an appraising look, her fist locked in his hand. As he released it, she gently she lowered it and gave him a look of her own, one of apology. "Sorry, Doctor Solus. I was just trying to compile an outline for a Codex to take back to Citadel Space. I must admit I'm having quite a hard time. I'm an archeologist for one thing; most of what I study is long, LONG dead, and besides we're dealing with such a vast volume of information-" she started. Mordin finished her sentence.

"Much of which is missing, yes?" Sheepishly, Liara nodded. The salarian stroked his chin. "Have made own investigations. Answers and mannerisms suggest not that they are concealing so much as they themselves do not possess the information. Also, do not self-depreciate. You are very competent, and codices often take years to even reach planning stages. A small guide to help keep track of facts is a very good idea."

"Something I think, you forgot about? In your haste to absorb all this new found knowledge?" Mordin smiled. Knowing it was less a matter of hubris and more of being overeager. A characteristic of youth.

Liara tried not to blush.

"That's very kind of you, Doctor." The salarian waved a dismissive hand. "Simple observation, though must admit you tend towards sentimentality. Stowaway quarian is evidence of that." He smiled as the blood drained from Liara's face.

"Do not worry. Will tell no one."

Liara, flustered by the fact that the salarian had simply dropped such a bombshell casually into the conversation, tried to find her feet and failed. "Speaking of quarian, suspect she is better informed than we, what with her close connection to the Tenno Atton. He seems to take pleasure in extolling information to her."

She nodded. "Yes, she seems to have gained friendship amongst the Tenno. Though I am very glad that the incident didn't cause any real issues between our people and theirs." She grimaced as did Solus, recalling the incident back when the Lotus had first revealed herself. "Have you been approached by any of the Tenno? It seems a few of our number have. Garrus himself told me that he was approached by one."

He nodded. "Yes actually. Was reason I came here." He motioned behind him. "Wanted to introduce herself to us." With that, he stepped aside, revealing another Tenno, this one she had never seen before. But what really drew here attention was the fact that, this one was female but, was by all appearances, young.

Her Warframe made Liara think of ancient polished clay statues or marble, suggesting delicacy containing power. Her helmet was dominated by a large domed section that tapered off into a cone-like extrusion made of concentric rings stacked on top of each other, through which flowed some kind of exhaust that dispersed in the air shortly after expulsion. She had two similar vents on her shoulder blades and overall, the dominating color of her frame was a dull, off-white grey mixed with a deeper grey and red stripes. She gave Liara a tentative wave. Her helmet retracted as one of the vents shut down, showing a young face.

What really drew Liara's attention was not the strange design, but how young the Tenno appeared. Physically, she as tall as Liara was. But unlike the other female Tenno, was, for a word, underdeveloped, reminding Liara of her sister Manaah the last time she had seen her, but without the tears.

"Hey there. Name's Naeshiko Gemini. Friends call me Nae for short. Or Gem." She stretched out her hand towards Liara, who looked at it as though unsure what to think. "Oh!" giggled the Tenno, putting one hand to her mouth in what Liara assumed was embarrassment, "Right, sorry. Just take hold of my hand. It's how we greet each other or show welcome."

Tentatively, Liara took her hand and just stood there as Nae rose and lowered her hand. She did it rather vigorously too. Eventually the two disentangled their hands and "So I hear you're compiling our history or something?"

"I… yes. But first I must ask, just how old are you? You seem to be so…"

"Young?" Nae finished. "It's cause I am, but it's no biggie. Just lets me get this awesome thing." Gesturing to the Warframe she was wearing. "Not a lot of us awake have it now but," her Warframe was coated in a blue aura before tiny spheres appeared and began flying around her. "Just makes it more special I can do this."

The two Citadel citizens smiled. Such a display of youth was a welcome sight. Especially for people like them, who rarely saw such a sight in their line of work. "It's nice to meet someone so cheerful. Though I have to ask, you say you are very young, but just how young are you? And how long can Tenno actually live? Tali told me one of your number was almost a millenium old, and had another still to go."

"Me? Oh, nearly two-hundred...two-hundred and twenty? I stopped counting after one hundred and ninety-nine. It's kinda depressing focusing on how close you are to the grave."

Liara gaped. "Close? But, the one called Atton, I was told he was-"

"Way more than a couple of hundred years old? Yeah, he is. But he's different, he's a Prime. But I won't die. Not anytime soon. Long as I'm careful, still got about a thousand years in me, maybe two. Give or take a few centuries."

Liara did her best to keep her jaw from dropping. This bubbly young girl was talking smoothly about living a life twice as long as the average Matriarch. It was mind boggling. "It's actually due to the Technocyte virus." It took Liara a moment to register what Gemini had just said, but when she did, she pressed herself back in her seat, the memory of the twisted freaks of nature the Eight had shown her all too fresh in her memory. Nae grinned. "No, not THAT Technocyte virus. You're thinking of the Plague. The virus the Tenno use is a form that was designed to be controlled and used specifically for making Tenno. I don't know exactly how it was invented or what the full history is, but what it means is that every Tenno exists in a symbiotic balance with the T-Cyte strain in their bodies, which gives us a very, very long life, enhanced bodies and most importantly, determines which Warframe we'll be given."

Slowly, Liara unstiffened.

"As for how long we can actually live?" Nae shrugged. "Really, we're kinda immortal."

Liara stood unmoving, processing Nae's words, while the professor all but gaped at the news before falling backwards and into her chair. Mordin was the first to find his voice again. "Immortal? You truly are immortal? Are Tenno incapable of dying?" Nae shook her head. "No, everyone wished that were true but no. We can still die. Just, it takes us a really long time. I mean, a LONG time. And once we become Tenno, how we look when we were ordained, is how we look to the day we die."

"What do you mean? You say you are immortal but,"

"Immortality, not godhood. We don't age but we can still die. If we never sustain any serious injuries, we could live for close to nine thousand years, maybe ten thousand. But that's not going to happen. Not for us Tenno. Most of us have a life expectancy of around, two thousand years, and that's if we only go into fights rarely with lots of breaks in between. Eventually though, our bodies wear out and we just, die."

Mordin nodded slowly. "Understandable. Even in spite of extreme enhnacement, damage compounds, errors pile up, eventually too patched and battered to continue functioning." Nae nodded.

"Right. The only TRULY immortal beings we've ever encountered were the Orokin. They had a very low birthrate, which kept their population from exploding everywhere. Oh, and Hayden Tenno."

"Who?" Liara asked.

"Hayden Tenno was the first Tenno. He was born on Earth thousands of years ago, before humanity met the Orokin. No one is sure how he did it anymore, as I said concerning the Technocyte Virus, but he merged with it in an uncontrolled, very primal manner. In most cases, this would've killed whoever tried it, but he was...special somehow. It gave him the same powers as a Tenno without a Warframe, and apparently eternal life. He lived over ten-thousand years according to what accounts we can salvage...but he finally died in the climactic battle of the Sentient War. Our order is named after him, actually modeled around many of the principles he upheld."

Liara smiled. "This Hayden, must have been a very impressive person. A hero. Perhaps there is where I'll start my work. But I have another question, I've heard that before, the Sentient War. Just what is this war?"

Nae paused, and like the other Tenno, Liara could see her trying desperately to claim the memories that might be attached to those words...but she couldn't. The Tenno girl finally shrugged. "I don't know...none of us really know. It's one of the things we've forgotten. When we woke up, it was like pieces had been carved out of not just our memories, but the world. We know there's missing information, but we can't find it anywhere, like someone's gone to great trouble to hide it. Even the Lotus can't recall. As for the rest of the Origin System, they've been enslaved for so long they've forgotten just about everything. To them, we became a myth, and the Empire a legend."

"I think there are a few who do still remember about the war. The older ones that is, and I'm sure anyone with a Prime knows but. None of them want to talk about it. I think they envy some of us actually. That we don't remember it." She shuddered. "I was born after it so I don't even know anything except what I might have learned in school when I was a kid."

Both Mordan and Liara looked to the other, realizing just how uncomfortable they were making her. In an effort to change the subject, Liara asked about the Warframes. And what kind that Nae was wearing.

"Well, there's actually a few." She raised fingers as she listed them off. "You've probably already seen the RHINOs and EXCALIBURs. They're pretty much the backbone. The NYXs and MAGs too. They were among the first Warframes. RHINOs and EXCALIBURs or EXCALs as some call them, are our general purpose Warframes. The first one is among, if not the most heavily armored. Even a freshly ordained one can take a ridiculous amount of punishment compared to the others. While the veterans are living tanks. While the EXCALs are more balanced and can be suited for a lot of roles. NYX are more of a, well, different. They have augmentations like you wouldn't believe. A lot of their abilities are based around the mind. Like they can literally take control over even kill with their thoughts. Takes a lot of power though. And then there's MAG. They can create, control and manipulate magnetic energy. If it's got energy, or metal, chances are MAG can toss it around like it's a ragdoll. Or just crumple it in on itself."

"And yours?"

"I'm a NOVA, an Antimatter Warframe." Not catching the looks Liara and Mordin were giving her, she continued. "I can control magnetic fields, but not like the MAG. I use mine to control the Antimatter of my Warframe."

"How!? Anti-matter is incredibly unstable requires enormous power to contain, let alone weaponize!"

Much to Liara's surprise, the girl simply shrugged. "Beats me. I didn't make the frame. It was made by the one who ordained me."

Liara tilted her head curiously. "So what other Warframes are there?" Nae shrugged.

"At least fourteen types I know of. We have LOKIs and BANSHEEs, they're more stealthy frames. ASH frames balance stealth and close quarters fighting, Frosts are tanky frames like RHINOs that rely on control of ice in battle. They can create snowglobes, which block incoming fire. Very useful in a shootout. Umm... What else?" Liara glanced across the room. "What about that one?"

Nae couldn't mask the expression of distaste that crossed her features. "That's a Nekros. Palladius, to be precise. The less said about him, the better." Liara looked across to where the strange frame sat, his head bowed over what looked like a stack of paper.

"Why? What did he do?" Nae grimaced again.

"Nobody knows. He was trapped on an Orokin derelict with thirteen other Tenno for a full year. By the time they were rescued the only survivors were him and his wife, Adamine. His wife can't stand to be near him anymore and nobody knows why. But you hear things." she paused for dramatic effect, leaning in towards the pair. "I heard that in order to survive he murdered his clanmates and ate them. Forced his wife to as well." Mordin blinked, dismissing the last statement as a wild rumour. It certainly had the cadence of sensationalist speculatio to it. Nevertheless he was intrigued. He was a member of the STG, to hi mysteries were anathema. And Palladius certainly was a mystery.

Liara grimaced. Cannibalism, amongst sapient species, was considered to be a heinous crime. Both against nature and their fellow species. In fact, for most, if not all species, the very act was considered to be so heinous, if convicted, meant an immediate death sentence. Mordin, despite the disgust he felt at such an implication, didn't believe it. Everything he learned about the Tenno pointed to that one would prefer death over devouring the corpses of their fellows. "What happened to his wife? I assume they are no longer together."

"She transferred to another clan. Last I heard she was out on Phobos. The irony is that they're still technically married. In order to end their union they have to undergo a divorce ceremony that requires both of them to be present in person. She hates him so much she couldn't stand to be in the same room as him long enough to undergo the ceremony." Liara grimaced as she stole another glance at the Tenno across the room. He had his strange pointed helmet removed, revealing a craggy face covered in a multitude of small scars, topped by a dirty yellow brown mass of hair that seemed coiled into a number of tube like structures, pulled loosely behind his head by a simple silver band. He had three small silver rings piercing the upper portion of the earlobe visible to her and his hair seemed to extend along his jaw, forming a small, messy point below his chin although this hair wasn't coiled into the tube structures. His entire face seemed weathered, as if he had stood face on to the wind during a sandstorm.

"Is he, okay to be around?" Liara felt uncomfortable being so close to someone that possibly ate his fellow Tenno.

"He tends to avoid everyone these days. I haven't seen him in a month, so I can't help there." Nae said, then put on hand on her chin. "You know, I'm sure you're both getting tired of just sitting here with no one knowing what's happened to you?"

"So you're still spreading the cannibalism rumour, Nae? I thought that one died out three weeks ago." All three occupants of the table spun round to look over at the NEKROS expressions matching those of children caught with their hands in the cookie, maeol fruit and candied mud beetle jar respectively. "The time before that I was a psychotic rapist, was I not? Or did I sacrifice my clanmates to a chaos god?" He drew himself up to his full height, Liara and Mordin appreciating for the first time exactly how big he was. Which was very. "Twelve Tenno died on that derelict. Their deaths are my fault and mine alone. I'll thank you not to speak ill of the dead, child." While his cadence was calm, almost gentle despite his rough, grating voice, the phrae made Liara feel like a teenager being reprimanded by her mother.

"I-I was jus-" began Nae before she was waved into silence.

"Go and train with the obstacle course. I've been sent here by the Marshall to fetch these two for something important, and its a need-to-know project." he said, his voice stern. Her head sinking like a scolded child, the young Tenno girl nodded and did her best not to scuttle out. When she was gone, Liara settled her gaze on the 'NEKROS. He was unlike the other Tenno, his frame suggesting emaciation or malnutrition, with bony rings on his thighs and upper arms. His helmet was shaped like a pointed hood and from within glowed small reddish lights. It was an intimidating sight.

He motioned for the two of them to stand. Liara shuddered. The bleached off-white coloration of the armor, with dark red and black patterning, reminded her far too much of a rotting corpse. Mordin seemed less concerned by the intimidating sight, but then again he was an STG operative. She was merely a bookish archaeologist in way over her head. The NEKROS led them to a large chamber, a holographic projection in the center of the room and a number of analysts clad in the robes of servants of the Tenno Order were scurrying around. They seemed to part before the seven foot bulk of Palladius like space dust before the bow of a dreadnought.

"Would one of you care to educate me on exactly what this is?" Liara peered at the projection. In the center of a rapidly expanding cloud of debris was the distinctive shape of a Mass Relay.

"Our spies informed us that it's how you got here, but as far as any of us can remember, we've never seen it before. Both the Corpus and the Grineer have their sights set on whatever the hell this is but they won't strike unti one of them has assembled a naval force superior to the other. This gives us about ten days to act. After that we estimate the Grineer will lock down the entire area. From what we can tell, no one, ANYWHERE has ever seen this thing, which can't be right because humanity has been mapping this system for thousands of years...so we can only assume it's part of the great big information gaps that came with the Long Night." The Tenno turned to the two.

"So, please for once, enlighten us, instead of the other way around."

"You, don't know what that is?" Mordin was surprised, but at the same time not. The Tenno were old, so they should have known of the Relay, as the NEKROS-clad warrior had stated. However, as he had also stated, its removal from the memories of the system's inhabitants did suggest something was afoot. "It is the means by which we came here. We call it a Mass Relay, and it's our society's primary means of FTL travel over massive distances. Our own ships do possess FTL drives but they pale in comparison to the Relays. We are able to cover several systems in a single jump thanks to the devices.

Focusing on the pair, he asked. "So I assume that leads directly towards your people?" At Mordin's nod, he shook his head. "Than the Marshall and the Council have to informed. We cannot allow the Grineer or the Corpus to leave the system at any cost. We have to finish them here, or else this war will never end." With that he turned, heading towards the exit. As the door opened, he paused. "The two of you, come with me. If your people are to be protected, than you must explain this to the Council." With a quick glance at each other, Mordin and Liara moved to join the NEKROS. The terminal left behind, still active and forgotten.

**Warframe Effect**


End file.
